ASML Holding vs TotalEnergies: Founders, CEOs and History
ASML Holding was founded in 1984 by Philips Electronics, Arthur del Prado and is led by Christophe Fouquet. TotalEnergies was founded in 1924 by Raymond Poincaré, Ernest Mercier and is led by Patrick Pouyanné.
Company facts
ASML Holding
- Founded
- 1984
- Headquarters
- Veldhoven, Netherlands
- Current CEO
- Christophe Fouquet
- Employees
- 44,209
TotalEnergies
- Founded
- 1924
- Headquarters
- Paris, France
- Current CEO
- Patrick Pouyanné
- Employees
- 100,000
Founders
ASML Holding
Philips Electronics
ASML was not founded by an individual with a vision. It was an underfunded joint venture between a conglomerate that wanted a project off its books and a smaller equipment company that wanted into lithography.
Arthur del Prado
Del Prado contribution to ASML was structural and financial rather than technical.
TotalEnergies
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré was President of France during World War I and Prime Minister when his government pushed for a national oil company in 1924.
Ernest Mercier
Ernest Mercier was the industrialist chosen to set up and chair Compagnie Française des Pétroles.
CEOs and their tenures
ASML Holding
- Willem Maris1990–1999
President and Chief Executive Officer
Willem Maris was recruited from the Philips managerial ranks to run ASML in 1990, when the company was still loss-making and dependent on parent funding. His first task was keeping it solvent through the early 1990s downturn.
Source - Doug Dunn1999–2004
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Doug Dunn took over as president and chief executive on April 1, 1999 and ran ASML through the dot-com boom and the sharp semiconductor downturn that followed.
Source - Eric Meurice2004–2013
President and Chief Executive Officer
Eric Meurice was appointed president and chief executive effective October 1, 2004, joining from Thomson where he ran the television division.
Source - Peter Wennink2013–2024
President and Chief Executive Officer
Peter Wennink joined ASML as chief financial officer in 1999 after a career at Deloitte Accountants covering semiconductor clients, and became chief executive on July 1, 2013, leading the company jointly with technology chief Martin van den Brink.
Source - Christophe Fouquet2024–present
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Management
Christophe Fouquet became president and chief executive on April 24, 2024, succeeding Peter Wennink and Martin van den Brink.
Source
TotalEnergies
- Thierry Desmarest1995–2007
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Under his leadership, Total more than doubled in size, becoming a dominant global supermajor capable of competing with Exxon and Shell.
Source - Christophe de Margerie2007–2014
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
He transformed Total into one of the most geographically diverse supermajors before his sudden death in a plane crash in 2014.
Source - Patrick Pouyanné2014–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
CEO since October 2014 and Chairman since December 2015, Pouyanné renamed the company TotalEnergies in 2021, expanded LNG and Integrated Power, and kept returns at the top of the majors (12.6% ROACE in 2025).
Source - Jean-Pierre Sbraire2019–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he fortified the balance sheet during unprecedented energy market volatility following the geopolitical shocks of 2022.
Source
Timeline: ASML Holding and TotalEnergies side by side
1924TotalEnergies
Compagnie Francaise des Petroles founded
The French state-backed oil company was created to secure access to petroleum resources and became the predecessor of TotalEnergies.
1954TotalEnergies
Total Brand Created
The company created the Total brand in 1954 to build a retail distribution network.
1984ASML Holding
Founded as ASM Lithography in Eindhoven
ASM Lithography starts operations on April 1, 1984 as a joint venture between Philips and ASM International, with the mandate to commercialize the PAS 2000 wafer stepper developed inside Philips.
1986ASML Holding
PAS 2500 stepper and the Carl Zeiss partnership
ASML brings the PAS 2500 stepper to market with a new wafer alignment system developed by first chief scientist Steef Wittekoek, and establishes the optics partnership with Carl Zeiss that still supplies every ASML lithography system.
1988ASML Holding
ASM International withdraws and Philips funds a rescue
With few customers and heavy cash consumption, ASM International decides to stop funding the joint venture while Philips launches a company-wide cost-cutting program.
1991ASML Holding
PAS 5500 platform turns the company around
ASML launches the PAS 5500 platform, whose productivity and resolution win the first large orders from Intel and IBM under chief executive Willem Maris and take the company to profitability. PAS 5500 systems are still running in customer fabs decades later.
1995ASML Holding
IPO in Amsterdam and on Nasdaq
ASML becomes a fully independent public company with a dual listing on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. Philips sells half of its shares at the IPO and divests the remainder over the following years.
1995TotalEnergies
Thierry Desmarest becomes CEO
Thierry Desmarest became CEO of TotalEnergies in 1995. Led Total from 1995 to 2007 and engineered the Petrofina and Elf Aquitaine combinations; remained Chairman until 2010.
1999TotalEnergies
Petrofina acquired; Elf Aquitaine follows in 2000
Total combined with Belgium's Petrofina in 1999 and Elf Aquitaine in 2000, operating as TotalFinaElf before reverting to Total in 2003.
2000TotalEnergies
Elf Aquitaine Acquired
Total acquired Elf Aquitaine in 2000, forming TotalFinaElf.
2001ASML Holding
TWINSCAN platform launched and Silicon Valley Group acquired
ASML introduces the TWINSCAN dual-stage architecture, which exposes one wafer while the next is measured and aligned, lifting throughput and overlay accuracy above competing systems.
2003ASML Holding
First immersion lithography system
The TWINSCAN AT:1150i debuts as ASML's first immersion machine, projecting 193 nanometer light through a layer of ultrapure water between the lens and the wafer to raise resolution.
2007TotalEnergies
Christophe de Margerie becomes CEO
Christophe de Margerie became CEO of TotalEnergies in 2007. CEO from 2007 and Chairman from 2010 until his death in a plane accident at Moscow's Vnukovo airport in October 2014.
2010ASML Holding
First EUV prototype shipped
ASML ships the TWINSCAN NXE:3100, its first extreme ultraviolet lithography tool, to the research facility of an Asian chipmaker.
2011TotalEnergies
Acquired SunPower (majority stake)
TotalEnergies acquired SunPower (majority stake).
2012ASML Holding
Customer Co-Investment Program with Intel, TSMC and Samsung
Intel, TSMC and Samsung acquire newly issued ASML shares equal to an aggregate 23 percent minority stake for ~$4.35 billion (3.85 billion euros) in cash, and separately commit ~$1.56 billion (1.38 billion euros) of R&D funding over five years dedicated to EUV…
2013ASML Holding
Cymer acquisition completed and second-generation EUV shipped
ASML completes the acquisition of Cymer, the San Diego supplier of the light sources used in its lithography systems, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at ~$2.2 billion (1.95 billion euros) when it was agreed in October 2012.
2017ASML Holding
EUV enters high-volume manufacturing
ASML begins shipping the production-ready TWINSCAN NXE:3400B after customers started ordering the NXE:3400 generation in batches in 2016, roughly two decades after EUV research began.
2018TotalEnergies
Direct Energie acquired
Total bought French power and gas retailer Direct Energie, the base of its European retail electricity business.
2019ASML Holding
Dutch government stops EUV exports to China
The Netherlands does not renew ASML's export licence for EUV systems to China, the start of a widening export control regime.
2021TotalEnergies
Total becomes TotalEnergies
The company changed its name to TotalEnergies to reflect a broader multi-energy strategy spanning oil, gas, electricity, renewables, and low-carbon energy.
2023ASML Holding
First High-NA EUV system shipped
ASML ships the first of its next-generation EUV systems with a numerical aperture of 0.55, the TWINSCAN EXE:5000, to Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon.
2024ASML Holding
Christophe Fouquet becomes chief executive
Peter Wennink and Martin van den Brink step down as presidents of ASML on April 24, 2024 and Christophe Fouquet becomes president, chief executive officer and chair of the Board of Management.
2025ASML Holding
Record year, first EXE:5200B and Mistral AI investment
ASML reports total net sales of ~$37 billion (32.7 billion euros), up 15.6 percent, net income of ~$10.8 billion (9.6 billion euros), a gross margin of 52.8 percent and 535 systems sold, and closes the year with a backlog of ~$43.8 billion (38.8 billion euros)…
2025TotalEnergies
2025 results
Revenues from sales of $182.344 billion, adjusted net income of $15.6 billion (down 15%), IFRS net income of $13.127 billion and a €3.40 dividend.
2026TotalEnergies
Mozambique LNG full restart
On January 29, 2026, Patrick Pouyanné and President Daniel Chapo announced the full restart of the roughly $20 billion Mozambique LNG project after force majeure was lifted in November 2025.
2026TotalEnergies
Q2 2026 results
Adjusted net income of $6.0 billion and cash flow of $9.8 billion in the second quarter as higher oil prices tied to the Middle East conflict lifted earnings.
Acquisitions
ASML Holding
- Berliner Glas Group2020Undisclosed
- Hermes Microvision Inc. (HMI)2016$3.1B
- Cymer Inc.2013$2.6B
- Brion Technologies2007$270M
- Silicon Valley Group (SVG)2001$1.6B
TotalEnergies
- Direct Energie2018$1.6B
- Saft Groupe2016Undisclosed
- SunPower (majority stake)2011Undisclosed
- Petrofina and Elf Aquitaine1999Undisclosed
Questions about ASML Holding vs TotalEnergies
Who is the CEO of ASML Holding NV and TotalEnergies SE?
ASML Holding NV is led by Christophe Fouquet and TotalEnergies SE is led by Patrick Pouyanné. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was ASML Holding NV founded vs TotalEnergies SE?
TotalEnergies SE was founded in 1924 — 60 years before ASML Holding NV, which was founded in 1984. TotalEnergies SE's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger ASML Holding NV.
How many employees does ASML Holding NV have compared to TotalEnergies SE?
ASML Holding NV employs approximately 44,209 people, while TotalEnergies SE employs approximately 100,000. TotalEnergies SE has the larger workforce at 100,000 employees, compared to ASML Holding NV's 44,209. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are ASML Holding NV and TotalEnergies SE headquartered?
ASML Holding NV is headquartered in Netherlands and TotalEnergies SE is headquartered in France. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded ASML Holding NV and TotalEnergies SE?
ASML Holding NV was founded by Philips Electronics, Arthur del Prado. TotalEnergies SE was founded by Raymond Poincaré, Ernest Mercier.
Which company has a longer operating history — ASML Holding NV or TotalEnergies SE?
TotalEnergies SE has been operating for approximately 102 years, making it the more established of the two companies. ASML Holding NV has been in operation for around 42 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the ASML Holding vs TotalEnergies overview