Block vs Intuit: Founders, CEOs and History
Block was founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey, Jim McKelvey and is led by Jack Dorsey. Intuit was founded in 1983 by Scott Cook, Tom Proulx and is led by Sasan Goodarzi.
Company facts
Founders
Block
Jack Dorsey
Dorsey co-founded Square in 2009 with Jim McKelvey after McKelvey lost a glass sale he could not take by card, and has run the company ever since: through the 2015 IPO, the rise of Cash App, the December 2021 rename to Block, the Afterpay purchase and, in Febr…
Jim McKelvey
McKelvey's lost $2,000 glass sale is Square's origin story. He worked with Dorsey and engineer Tristan O'Tierney on the first reader and the flat-pricing business model, and later wrote 'The Innovation Stack' (2020), which explains how Square survived copycats…
Intuit
Scott Cook
Scott Cook co-founded Intuit in 1983 after working in brand management at Procter & Gamble and as a consultant at Bain & Company. He served as CEO until 1994, when Bill Campbell took over, and has remained on the board.
Tom Proulx
Tom Proulx was a Stanford University student when he joined Scott Cook in 1983 and wrote the original Quicken program. He led product development during Intuit's early years and later left the company's day-to-day management.
CEOs and their tenures
Block
- Jack Dorsey2009–present
Co-Founder, Block Head and Chairman (Chief Executive)
Has led Square and Block since 2009: the 2015 IPO, the growth of Cash App, the 2021 rename to Block, the Afterpay purchase, bitcoin projects such as Bitkey and Proto, and the February 2026 cut to just under 6,000 employees.
Source - Alyssa Henry2014–2023
Seller Lead, then Chief Executive of the Square business
Joined from Amazon in 2014 as seller lead and became chief executive of the Square business when the parent was renamed Block in December 2021.
Source
Intuit
- Brad Smith2008–2018
Former CEO & Executive Chairman
He left Intuit with a recurring-revenue cloud business and served as executive chairman until 2022.
Source - Sasan Goodarzi2019–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Revenue grew from $6.8 billion in fiscal 2019 to $21.4 billion in fiscal 2026 under Goodarzi, though the 2026 restructuring and slower TurboTax units drove a sharp share-price decline.
Source - Sandeep Aujla2024–present
Chief Financial Officer
CFO since August 2024, succeeding Michelle Clatterbuck.
Source
Timeline: Block and Intuit side by side
1984Intuit
Quicken Launches
Intuit releases Quicken, its first personal finance program, built to mimic a paper checkbook.
1992Intuit
QuickBooks Launches
Intuit introduces QuickBooks, accounting software written in plain language for small business owners.
1993Intuit
IPO and ChipSoft Merger
Intuit lists on Nasdaq and merges with ChipSoft, the maker of TurboTax.
1995Intuit
Microsoft Deal Abandoned
Microsoft drops its 1994 agreement to buy Intuit after the U.S. Justice Department sues to block it.
2009Block
Square founded in St. Louis
Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey start Square in February 2009 after McKelvey loses a $2,000 glass sale because he cannot take an American Express card. With engineer Tristan O'Tierney they build a reader that plugs into a phone's headphone jack.
2010Block
Square reader and app go public
Square releases its free card reader and app, letting individuals and small sellers take card payments on a smartphone at one published rate instead of signing a bank merchant contract.
2011Block
Visa invests in Square
Visa makes a strategic investment in Square in April 2011, a sign the card networks saw the startup as widening card acceptance rather than threatening it.
2012Block
Starbucks deal
Starbucks invests $25 million and Square starts processing card payments at about 7,000 U.S. Starbucks stores, with Dorsey joining the Starbucks board.
2013Block
Square Cash launches
Square launches Square Cash in October 2013, letting people send money to each other by email. It later becomes Cash App.
2014Block
Square Capital and Caviar
Square starts lending to its own sellers through Square Capital in May 2014, with repayments taken as a share of daily card sales, and buys food delivery service Caviar.
2015Block
IPO on the New York Stock Exchange
Square lists on the NYSE as SQ on November 19, 2015 at $9 a share, a valuation of about $2.9 billion, raising about $243 million.
2016Intuit
Quicken Sold
Intuit sells Quicken to H.I.G. Capital to focus on QuickBooks and TurboTax in the cloud.
2018Block
Cash App adds bitcoin; Square buys Weebly
Cash App, which added the Cash Card debit card in 2017, lets users buy bitcoin from 2018, and Square buys website builder Weebly for $365 million. Commission-free stock investing follows in 2019.
2020Block
Bitcoin treasury, Verse and Credit Karma Tax
The FDIC approves deposit insurance for Square Financial Services in March 2020. Square buys Spanish payments app Verse in June, puts $50 million into 4,709 bitcoin in October, and agrees in November to buy Credit Karma Tax for $50 million.
2020Intuit
Credit Karma Acquired
Intuit completes its acquisition of Credit Karma in December 2020.
2021Block
TIDAL purchase and Square's own bank opens
Square Financial Services opens on March 1, 2021, and Square agrees the same month to buy a majority of the TIDAL music service for $297 million in cash and stock, with Jay-Z joining its board.
2021Block
Afterpay deal announced
Square agrees in August 2021 to buy Afterpay, the Australian buy now, pay later company, in an all-stock deal valued at about $29 billion.
2021Block
Square becomes Block
On December 10, 2021, Square, Inc. renames itself Block, Inc., shortly after Dorsey steps down as Twitter's chief executive. Square remains the name of the seller business.
2021Intuit
Mailchimp Acquired
Intuit closes its roughly $12 billion purchase of Mailchimp in November 2021.
2022Block
Afterpay acquisition closes
Block completes the Afterpay purchase on January 31, 2022. Because it paid in its own shares, which had roughly halved since the announcement, the deal was worth much less at closing than the headline $29 billion.
2023Block
Hindenburg report, Square leadership change and Bitkey
Short seller Hindenburg Research accuses Cash App in March 2023 of inflated user metrics and weak compliance, which Block rejects.
2023Intuit
Intuit Assist and GenOS
Intuit launches its generative AI operating system GenOS and the Intuit Assist assistant across its products.
2024Block
Proto mining chip and portfolio cuts
Block says in April 2024 it has designed a 3-nanometer bitcoin mining chip, agrees in July to supply Core Scientific, and in November winds down its TBD crypto unit and scales back TIDAL.
2024Intuit
Mint Shut Down
Intuit closes Mint in March 2024 and moves users to Credit Karma.
2025Block
Cash App settlements and the XYZ ticker
In January 2025 the CFPB orders Block to pay up to $120 million in Cash App redress plus a $55 million penalty, state regulators impose an $80 million anti-money-laundering penalty, and the ticker changes from SQ to XYZ.
2025Block
Block joins the S&P 500
Block enters the S&P 500 on July 23, 2025, replacing Hess, and at its November investor day sets 2028 targets of about $15.8 billion of gross profit and $4.6 billion of adjusted operating income.
2026Block
Workforce cut to under 6,000
On February 26, 2026, Dorsey announces Block will shrink from more than 10,000 employees to just under 6,000, citing AI, and the shares jump about 24%.
2026Intuit
17% Workforce Cut
In May 2026 Intuit announces about 3,000 job cuts and reduced Mailchimp investment; shares fall about 20%.
2026Intuit
Revenue Tops $20 Billion
Fiscal 2026 revenue reaches $21.4 billion, and Mailchimp becomes a separate operating segment from August 1, 2026.
Acquisitions
Block
- Afterpay2022$29B
- TIDAL (majority stake)2021$297M
- Credit Karma Tax (now Cash App Taxes)2020$50M
- Verse2020Undisclosed
- Weebly2018$365M
- Caviar2014$90M
Intuit
- Mailchimp2021$12B
- Credit Karma2020$8.1B
- ChipSoft (TurboTax)1993Undisclosed
Questions about Block vs Intuit
Who is the CEO of Block Inc and Intuit Inc.?
Block Inc is led by Jack Dorsey and Intuit Inc. is led by Sasan Goodarzi. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Block Inc founded vs Intuit Inc.?
Intuit Inc. was founded in 1983 — 26 years before Block Inc, which was founded in 2009. Intuit Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Block Inc.
How many employees does Block Inc have compared to Intuit Inc.?
Block Inc employs approximately 10,205 people, while Intuit Inc. employs approximately 18,200. Intuit Inc. has the larger workforce at 18,200 employees, compared to Block Inc's 10,205. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Block Inc and Intuit Inc. headquartered?
Both Block Inc and Intuit Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Block Inc and Intuit Inc.?
Block Inc was founded by Jack Dorsey, Jim McKelvey. Intuit Inc. was founded by Scott Cook, Tom Proulx.
Which company has a longer operating history — Block Inc or Intuit Inc.?
Intuit Inc. has been operating for approximately 43 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Block Inc has been in operation for around 17 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 Block vs Intuit overview