AbbVie vs General Motors: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: AbbVie and General Motors side by side

1. 1908General Motors

   General Motors Founded

   William C. Durant incorporates General Motors in Hudson, New Jersey, on September 16, 1908, with Buick Motor Company as its primary asset.

2. 1909General Motors

   Cadillac and Oldsmobile Acquired

   GM acquires Oldsmobile and the prestigious Cadillac Automobile Company, establishing the multi-brand architecture that will define GM's market segmentation strategy for decades.

3. 1923General Motors

   Alfred Sloan Becomes President

   Alfred P. Sloan takes the GM presidency and begins implementing the decentralized divisional management structure and market segmentation strategy that transforms GM into the world's most admired corporate organization.

4. 1931General Motors

   GM Surpasses Ford as World's Largest Automaker

   General Motors overtakes Ford Motor Company as the world's largest automobile manufacturer by sales volume, a position it would hold for the majority of the next seven decades.

5. 1984General Motors

   Saturn Corporation Founded

   GM establishes Saturn as a separate subsidiary intended to compete with Japanese small cars through innovative labor relations, retail practices, and manufacturing processes.

6. 1996General Motors

   OnStar Connected Vehicle Service Launched

   GM introduces OnStar, the world's first embedded cellular connected vehicle service, offering emergency assistance, stolen vehicle tracking, and remote diagnostics.

7. 2009General Motors

   Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and Government Bailout

   General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 1, 2009, with $49.5 billion in U.S. Government assistance as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

8. 2010General Motors

   IPO Return to Public Markets

   General Motors returns to public markets through an initial public offering on November 18, 2010, raising approximately $23.1 billion - at the time one of the largest IPOs in U.S. History. The offering allows the U.S.

9. 2013AbbVie

   AbbVie Launches as an Independent Company

   AbbVie launched after Abbott Laboratories separated its research-based pharmaceutical business and began NYSE trading under ABBV.

10. 2014General Motors

    Mary Barra Becomes CEO

    Mary Barra, a 33-year GM veteran with a background in engineering and manufacturing, becomes CEO on January 15, 2014, becoming the first female CEO of a major global automaker.

11. 2015AbbVie

    Pharmacyclics Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed its acquisition of Pharmacyclics, adding Imbruvica and expanding its hematologic oncology business.

12. 2016General Motors

    Cruise Automation Acquired

    GM acquires Cruise Automation, a San Francisco-based autonomous vehicle startup, for approximately $1 billion - at the time one of the largest acquisitions in GM's modern history.

13. 2019AbbVie

    Skyrizi Receives Initial U.S. Approval

    The FDA approved Skyrizi for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in April 2019.

14. 2019AbbVie

    Rinvoq Receives Initial U.S. Approval

    The FDA approved Rinvoq for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in August 2019.

15. 2020AbbVie

    Allergan Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed the Allergan acquisition, adding neuroscience, eye care, and Allergan Aesthetics products including Botox and Juvederm.

16. 2021General Motors

    Ultium Platform and EV Commitment Announced

    GM announces its commitment to invest more than $35 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles through 2025 and introduces the Ultium battery platform as the technological foundation for dozens of future EV models across all four U.S. Brands.

17. 2023AbbVie

    U.S. Humira Biosimilar Competition Begins

    Humira began facing U.S. biosimilar competition, and AbbVie reported a subsequent decline in Humira revenue.

18. 2024AbbVie

    ImmunoGen Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed its acquisition of ImmunoGen, adding Elahere and antibody-drug conjugate programs.

19. 2024AbbVie

    Robert A. Michael Becomes CEO

    Robert A. Michael succeeded Richard A. Gonzalez as chief executive officer effective July 1, 2024.

20. 2024AbbVie

    Cerevel Therapeutics Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed its acquisition of Cerevel Therapeutics, adding clinical-stage neuroscience programs.

21. 2024General Motors

    Cruise Robotaxi Program Ended

    Following the October 2023 Cruise pedestrian incident and a long operational pause, GM announced in December 2024 that it would stop funding Cruise's robotaxi business and fold the unit's technology work into GM.

22. 2025AbbVie

    Robert A. Michael Becomes Chairman

    Robert A. Michael added the chairman role effective July 1, 2025, when Richard A. Gonzalez retired from the board.

23. 2025AbbVie

    FY2025 Revenue Reaches $61.160 Billion

    AbbVie reported FY2025 net revenue of $61.160 billion and net income of $4.226 billion.

24. 2025General Motors

    EV Capacity Cut and $7.6 Billion in EV Charges

    After the U.S. federal EV tax credit expired on September 30, 2025, GM cut EV production capacity and recorded about $7.6 billion of EV-related charges for the year.

25. 2026AbbVie

    Q1 2026 Revenue Reaches $15.002 Billion

    AbbVie reported first-quarter 2026 net revenue of $15.002 billion, up 12.4 percent on a reported basis.

26. 2026General Motors

    Guidance Raised as North America Margins Recover

    GM reported Q2 2026 revenue of $48.0 billion and EBIT-adjusted of $3.9 billion, with North America margins back in its 8-10% target range, and raised full-year 2026 EBIT-adjusted guidance to $14.0-16.0 billion.

Acquisitions

Questions about AbbVie vs General Motors