AXA vs Toyota: Founders, CEOs and History
AXA was founded in 1817 by Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier, Claude Bébéar and is led by Thomas Buberl. Toyota was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda, Sakichi Toyoda and is led by Kenta Kon.
Company facts
Founders
AXA
Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier
Little is recorded about le Carpentier beyond the founding act itself. In 1817 he and 17 other property owners in Rouen created the Compagnie d'Assurances Mutuelles contre l'Incendie for the departments of the Seine and the Eure, covering their own buildings a…
Claude Bébéar
Claude Bébéar built modern AXA. After joining in 1958 he spent 17 years inside the business, including 1964 to 1966 in Canada creating the life insurance arm of the group subsidiary Provinces Unies, before becoming chief executive in 1975 following Sahut d'Iza…
Toyota
Kiichiro Toyoda
Kiichiro Toyoda (1894-1952) founded the Toyota Motor Corporation in 1937, spinning it out of his father's successful textile machinery business.
Sakichi Toyoda
Sakichi Toyoda was not the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation but his inventions and philosophy created the foundation on which it was built. His loom patents generated the capital Kiichiro needed to experiment with automobiles.
CEOs and their tenures
AXA
- Claude Bébéar1975–2000
Chairman and CEO
Bébéar turned a Normandy mutual into a global insurer between 1975 and 2000. He took control of the Drouot Group in 1982, bought Présence in 1986, merged with Compagnie du Midi in 1988, took control of The Equitable in the United States in 1991, National Mutua…
Source - Henri de Castries2000–2016
Chairman and CEO
De Castries ran AXA from May 2000 to September 2016, through the dot-com collapse, the 2008 financial crisis and the euro-area debt crisis, without state support.
Source - Thomas Buberl2016–present
Chief Executive Officer
Buberl became chief executive in September 2016 and refocused AXA on insurance underwriting.
Source
Toyota
- Akio Toyoda2009–2023
President and Chief Executive Officer (now Chairman)
Akio Toyoda took leadership during one of Toyota's hardest modern periods, including the global financial crisis and the unintended acceleration recall crisis.
Source - Koji Sato2023–2026
President and Chief Executive Officer (now Vice Chairman)
Koji Sato inherited a profitable but scrutinized Toyota.
Source - Kenta Kon2026–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
As CFO, he managed the immense capital allocation required for Toyota's massive $35 billion commitment to fully electrify its vehicle lineup by 2030.
Source
Timeline: AXA and Toyota side by side
1817AXA
Founding of the Compagnie d'Assurances Mutuelles contre l'Incendie
Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier and 17 other property owners in Rouen set up a mutual fire insurance company, the earliest predecessor of AXA. It stayed a Normandy mutual, later called Ancienne Mutuelle, for more than a century.
1937Toyota
Toyota Motor Corporation incorporated
Toyota Motor Corporation was incorporated after Kiichiro Toyoda expanded the Toyoda family business from automatic looms into automobile manufacturing.
1955Toyota
Toyopet Crown launched
The Toyopet Crown gave Toyota a postwar passenger-car platform and later became its first passenger car exported to the United States.
1966Toyota
Corolla launched
Toyota launched the Corolla, a compact car that became central to its mass-market export strategy.
1975AXA
Claude Bébéar becomes chief executive
Bébéar, recruited in 1958 by André Sahut d'Izarn, took over the Anciennes Mutuelles group in 1975 after Sahut d'Izarn's death and the settlement of a strike that had paralysed the company in April 1974.
1982AXA
Takeover of the Drouot Group
Bébéar took control of the Drouot Group, then the leading private French insurance group, and became its chairman alongside his role at Mutuelles Unies.
1985AXA
Creation of the AXA name
The group adopted the invented name AXA, short and pronounceable in any language, and Bébéar moved from running the insurance companies to chairing the group.
1986AXA
Acquisition of the Présence Group
AXA bought the Présence Group in April 1986, continuing the consolidation of French insurers.
1988AXA
Merger with Compagnie du Midi
The merger with Compagnie du Midi made AXA the second-largest French insurance group behind UAP and brought Equity and Law, then the sixth-largest life insurer in the United Kingdom. Bébéar was elected Manager of the Year the same year.
1989Toyota
Lexus launches
Toyota launched Lexus with the LS 400, moving into premium vehicles with a quality-led strategy.
1991AXA
Control of The Equitable in the United States
After a failed attempt to buy Farmers, AXA agreed in July 1991 to demutualise and take control of The Equitable, then the fifth-largest life insurer in the United States, which also brought Alliance Capital Management.
1996AXA
Acquisition of UAP
AXA bought UAP, a French insurer twice its size, doubling its French business and reaching critical mass in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany. The merger took effect in 1997.
1997Toyota
Prius launches in Japan
Toyota launched the Prius, turning hybrid technology into a mass-produced passenger vehicle.
1999AXA
Guardian Royal Exchange and Nippon Dantai
Guardian Royal Exchange joined AXA in early 1999, adding scale in United Kingdom property, casualty and health insurance, and AXA took control of Nippon Dantai, then the thirteenth-largest life insurer in Japan.
2006AXA
Acquisition of Winterthur
AXA agreed to buy Winterthur from Credit Suisse for ~$14.8 billion (CHF 12.3 billion), about $8.93 billion (EUR 7.9 billion) in cash, strengthening its position in Switzerland, Germany and central and eastern Europe.
2011AXA
Sale of AXA Canada
AXA sold its Canadian operations to Intact Financial Corp. for ~$1.87 billion (C$2.6 billion) as part of a portfolio review.
2016Toyota
Acquired Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.
Toyota Motor acquired Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd..
2018AXA
Acquisition of XL Group
AXA bought XL Group for $15.3 billion in cash, shifting the group toward commercial property and casualty lines and creating the AXA XL platform.
2021Toyota
Acquired Lyft Level 5
Toyota Motor acquired Lyft Level 5 for $550 million.
2021Toyota
Acquired CARMERA
Toyota Motor acquired CARMERA.
2024AXA
Launch of the Unlock the Future plan
With its 2023 results in February 2024 AXA presented a 2024 to 2026 plan targeting underlying earnings per share growth of 6% to 8% a year, an underlying return on equity of 14% to 16% and a new capital management policy.
2025AXA
Sale of AXA Investment Managers to BNP Paribas
AXA completed the sale of AXA Investment Managers to BNP Paribas Cardif on July 1, 2025 for ~$5.76 billion (EUR 5.1 billion) in cash, a total transaction value of ~$6.1 billion (EUR 5.4 billion), and signed a long-term agreement for BNP Paribas to manage a lar…
2025AXA
Death of founder Claude Bébéar
AXA announced on November 4, 2025 that Claude Bébéar, its founder and Honorary Chairman, had died at the age of 90. He ran the group from 1975 to 2000 and created the AXA name in 1985.
2026Toyota
Kenta Kon becomes president and CEO
Kenta Kon became president and CEO on April 1, 2026, while Koji Sato moved to vice chairman and chief industry officer.
2026Toyota
FY2026 sales revenues reach ~$340B (JPY 50.685T)
Toyota reported FY2026 sales revenues of ~$340 billion (JPY 50,684.952 billion) and net income attributable to Toyota Motor Corporation of ~$25.8 billion (JPY 3,848.098 billion).
Acquisitions
AXA
- Prima Assicurazioni (51% stake)2025Undisclosed
- Laya Healthcare2023Undisclosed
- XL Group2018$15.3B
- Winterthur2006$10B
- UAP (Union des Assurances de Paris)1996$7.8B
- The Equitable (US)1991$1B
Toyota
- Lyft Level 52021$550M
- CARMERA2021Undisclosed
- Renovo Motors2021Undisclosed
- Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.2016Undisclosed
- Toyota Auto Body2012Undisclosed
Questions about AXA vs Toyota
Who is the CEO of AXA SA and Toyota Motor Corporation?
AXA SA is led by Thomas Buberl and Toyota Motor Corporation is led by Kenta Kon. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was AXA SA founded vs Toyota Motor Corporation?
AXA SA was founded in 1817 — 120 years before Toyota Motor Corporation, which was founded in 1937. AXA SA's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Toyota Motor Corporation.
How many employees does AXA SA have compared to Toyota Motor Corporation?
AXA SA employs approximately 156,000 people, while Toyota Motor Corporation employs approximately 375,235. Toyota Motor Corporation has the larger workforce at 375,235 employees, compared to AXA SA's 156,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are AXA SA and Toyota Motor Corporation headquartered?
AXA SA is headquartered in France and Toyota Motor Corporation is headquartered in Japan. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded AXA SA and Toyota Motor Corporation?
AXA SA was founded by Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier, Claude Bébéar. Toyota Motor Corporation was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda, Sakichi Toyoda.
Which company has a longer operating history — AXA SA or Toyota Motor Corporation?
AXA SA has been operating for approximately 209 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Toyota Motor Corporation has been in operation for around 89 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 AXA vs Toyota overview