AXA vs United Airlines: Founders, CEOs and History
AXA was founded in 1817 by Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier, Claude Bébéar and is led by Thomas Buberl. United Airlines was founded in 1926 by Walter T. Varney, William Boeing and is led by Scott Kirby.
Company facts
AXA
- Founded
- 1817
- Headquarters
- Paris, France
- Current CEO
- Thomas Buberl
- Employees
- 156,000
United Airlines
- Founded
- 1926
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois
- Current CEO
- Scott Kirby
- Employees
- 113,200
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…
United Airlines
Walter T. Varney
Walter T. Varney founded Varney Air Lines, which won Contract Air Mail Route 5 and flew its first route between Pasco, Washington, and Elko, Nevada, via Boise, on April 6, 1926.
William Boeing
William Boeing formed Boeing Air Transport in 1927 to fly the Chicago-San Francisco air mail route and then, with Frederick Rentschler, created United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1929.
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
United Airlines
- Oscar Munoz2015–2020
Former CEO
Munoz handed over to Scott Kirby in May 2020 and served as executive chairman for a transition period.
Source - J. Scott Kirby2020–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Kirby, United's revenue rose from $15.4 billion in 2020 to a record $59.1 billion in 2025, with premium cabins and MileagePlus as the main growth drivers.
Source
Timeline: AXA and United Airlines 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.
1926United Airlines
Varney Air Lines begins
United traces its roots to Varney Air Lines and early air mail service.
1931United Airlines
United Air Lines organized
United Air Lines was formed to manage airline subsidiaries tied to United Aircraft and Transport.
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.
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.
1997United Airlines
Star Alliance founded
United became one of the founding members of Star Alliance.
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.
2010United Airlines
Continental merger closes
UAL Corporation completed the Continental merger, later operating under the United brand.
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.
2015United Airlines
Oscar Munoz becomes CEO
Oscar Munoz became chief executive of United in September 2015.
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.
2020United Airlines
Scott Kirby becomes CEO
Scott Kirby succeeded Oscar Munoz as CEO in May 2020.
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.
2025United Airlines
Revenue reaches record level
United reported record 2025 total operating revenue of $59.1 billion.
2026United Airlines
Q2 2026 revenue up 16%
United reported Q2 2026 revenue of $17.7 billion and raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $9-$11 despite nearly $6 billion in added fuel costs.
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
Questions about AXA vs United Airlines
Who is the CEO of AXA SA and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
AXA SA is led by Thomas Buberl and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is led by Scott Kirby. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was AXA SA founded vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
AXA SA was founded in 1817 — 109 years before United Airlines Holdings, Inc., which was founded in 1926. AXA SA's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger United Airlines Holdings, Inc..
How many employees does AXA SA have compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
AXA SA employs approximately 156,000 people, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. employs approximately 113,200. AXA SA has the larger workforce at 156,000 employees, compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s 113,200. 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 United Airlines Holdings, Inc. headquartered?
AXA SA is headquartered in France and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded AXA SA and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
AXA SA was founded by Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier, Claude Bébéar. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. was founded by Walter T. Varney, William Boeing.
Which company has a longer operating history — AXA SA or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
AXA SA has been operating for approximately 209 years, making it the more established of the two companies. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has been in operation for around 100 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 United Airlines overview