Samuel Lowell Price
Co-founder 1849Background
Opened an accounting practice in London in 1849 that became a key predecessor of Price Waterhouse.
Role at PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers possesses arguably the most historic, foundational founding story in the entire global financial industry, representing the historic 1998 mega-merger of two ancient, prestigious London accounting dynasties that literally invented the modern complex auditing profession. The historic modern corporate entity was created in 1998 through the historic, shocking merger of Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand. The deepest foundational roots trace entirely back to 1849 in bustling Victorian London, when Samuel Lowell Price, a meticulous accountant, founded his respected practice. In 1865, he partnered with William Hopkins Holyland and Edwin Waterhouse. Their foundational masterstroke was heavily capitalizing on the explosion of the complex British railway industry, inventing the rigorous, structured financial auditing standards necessary to prevent devastating corporate fraud. The other foundational pillar was officially established in 1854 when William Cooper founded his respected accounting practice in London (which eventually became Coopers Brothers). For over a century, these two British rivals dominated global finance, heavily following the global expansion of British imperial capitalism across the world. By executing the historic 1998 mega-merger, the newly formed PwC consolidated centuries of intertwined, secretive financial expertise, establishing the dominant bedrock of the complex modern global accounting and professional services industry. Success. Yes.