Bristol-Myers Squibb vs BYD: Founders, CEOs and History
Bristol-Myers Squibb was founded in 1887 by Edward Robinson Squibb, William McLaren Bristol, John Ripley Myers and is led by Christopher Boerner. BYD was founded in 1995 by Wang Chuanfu, Lu Xiangyang and is led by Wang Chuanfu.
Company facts
Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Founded
- 1887
- Headquarters
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Current CEO
- Christopher Boerner
- Employees
- 32,500
BYD
- Founded
- 1995
- Headquarters
- Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Current CEO
- Wang Chuanfu
- Employees
- 911,900
Founders
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Edward Robinson Squibb
Squibb resigned his Navy post and opened a small laboratory in Brooklyn in 1858 to make pure ether, chloroform and other medicines.
William McLaren Bristol
In 1887 Bristol and Myers bought the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company of Clinton, New York, reportedly for about $5,000.
John Ripley Myers
Myers and Bristol bought the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company in Clinton, New York, in 1887 and renamed it Bristol, Myers and Company in 1898.
BYD
Wang Chuanfu
Wang Chuanfu founded BYD in Shenzhen in 1995 with his cousin Lu Xiangyang to make rechargeable batteries for mobile phones.
Lu Xiangyang
Lu Xiangyang put up the early capital when Wang Chuanfu started BYD in 1995 and has sat on BYD's board ever since, now as a non-executive director. His stake in BYD made him one of China's richest people.
CEOs and their tenures
Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Charles A. Heimbold Jr.1994–2001
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 1994 to 2001, he aggressively expanded the company's oncology portfolio, notably launching the blockbuster cancer drug Taxol, which drove massive revenue growth.
Source - Peter R. Dolan2001–2006
Chief Executive Officer
Dolan, who had run the consumer products and medical device divisions, succeeded Charles Heimbold in May 2001. His tenure included the ImClone partnership on the cancer drug Erbitux and a federal investigation into wholesaler inventory practices.
Source - James M. Cornelius2006–2010
Chief Executive Officer
Cornelius took over after Peter Dolan's removal in September 2006 and ran the company until May 2010.
Source - Lamberto Andreotti2010–2015
Chief Executive Officer
Andreotti, previously president and chief operating officer, became CEO on May 4, 2010.
Source - Giovanni Caforio2015–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Caforio, a physician, succeeded Lamberto Andreotti in May 2015. He led the $74 billion Celgene acquisition in 2019, the $13.1 billion MyoKardia deal in 2020 and the $4.1 billion Turning Point deal in 2022, and agreed the Mirati purchase in October 2023.
Source - Chris Boerner2023–present
Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Boerner became CEO in November 2023 and board chair on April 1, 2024, after serving as executive vice president, chief operating officer and CEO-designate from April 2023 and earlier as chief commercialization officer.
Source
BYD
- Wang Chuanfu1995–present
Founder, Chairman and President (CEO)
Wang Chuanfu has run BYD since founding it in 1995. He moved the company from phone batteries into cars in 2003, launched the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid in 2008, introduced the Blade Battery in 2020 and ended combustion-only car production in 2022.
Source - Lu Xiangyang1995–present
Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director
Lu Xiangyang, Wang Chuanfu's cousin and a former banker, provided early capital for BYD in 1995 and has remained on the board, now as a non-executive director.
Source - Stella Li1996–present
Executive Vice President; CEO of BYD Americas and Europe
Stella Li joined BYD in September 1996 as a marketing manager for exports, opened its first overseas office in Hong Kong in 1997 and set up its European headquarters in 1999.
Source
Timeline: Bristol-Myers Squibb and BYD side by side
1858Bristol-Myers Squibb
Edward Robinson Squibb opens his Brooklyn laboratory
Navy surgeon Edward Robinson Squibb started making pure ether and other medicines in Brooklyn. The laboratory burned down on Christmas Eve 1858 and reopened in 1859 after local doctors and surgeons contributed $2,100.
1887Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol and Myers buy the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company
Hamilton College graduates William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers bought the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company of Clinton, New York, the business that became Bristol-Myers.
1898Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol, Myers and Company is named
The founders renamed the business Bristol, Myers and Company in May 1898. After Myers died in 1899 it became Bristol-Myers, which built national brands in Sal Hepatica and, from 1901, Ipana toothpaste.
1944Bristol-Myers Squibb
Penicillin at wartime scale
Squibb opened what was then the world's largest penicillin plant in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Bristol-Myers had bought Cheplin Biological Laboratories in East Syracuse, New York, in 1943 and converted it to penicillin for Allied forces.
1989Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers and Squibb merge
Bristol-Myers and Squibb combined to form Bristol-Myers Squibb, uniting a consumer and pharmaceutical company with a research-led drugmaker.
1995BYD
BYD founded in Shenzhen
Wang Chuanfu and his cousin Lu Xiangyang start BYD in Shenzhen with about 20 employees, making rechargeable batteries for mobile phones.
2000BYD
Becomes a leading NiCd battery maker
BYD becomes one of the world's largest makers of nickel-cadmium batteries, supplying major electronics brands.
2002BYD
Hong Kong listing
BYD lists its H shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1211.
2003BYD
Buys Qinchuan and enters the car business
BYD acquires a controlling stake in Xi'an Qinchuan Automobile for about $37.4 million (CN¥269 million), gaining a car production licence and factory.
2006Bristol-Myers Squibb
CEO Peter Dolan removed over the Plavix deal
After an FBI raid in July 2006 over a patent settlement with generic maker Apotex on the blood thinner Plavix, the federal monitor urged the board to remove CEO Peter Dolan, who stepped down on September 12, 2006.
2008BYD
Berkshire Hathaway takes about 10%
Berkshire Hathaway's MidAmerican Energy invests $232 million for about 10% of BYD, giving the company international credibility.
2008BYD
Launches the F3DM plug-in hybrid
BYD launches the F3DM, the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car, two years before the Chevrolet Volt.
2009Bristol-Myers Squibb
Medarex bought and Mead Johnson split off
BMS bought Medarex, gaining Yervoy and a share of what became Opdivo, and split off Mead Johnson Nutrition in an exchange offer, completing its shift to a specialty biopharmaceutical company.
2010BYD
Denza joint venture with Daimler
BYD and Daimler set up Denza as a 50:50 joint venture to build premium electric cars in China.
2011Bristol-Myers Squibb
FDA approves Yervoy
Yervoy (ipilimumab) became the first drug shown to extend overall survival in advanced melanoma, opening BMS's immuno-oncology franchise.
2011BYD
Launches the e6 and lists in Shenzhen
BYD launches the e6 electric crossover, first used as a taxi in Shenzhen, and lists A shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (002594).
2012Bristol-Myers Squibb
FDA approves Eliquis
The FDA approved Eliquis (apixaban), developed with Pfizer, in December 2012 for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation. It became BMS's largest product, with $14.4 billion of sales in 2025.
2014Bristol-Myers Squibb
FDA approves Opdivo
The FDA approved the PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) in December 2014 for advanced melanoma. It reached $10.0 billion of sales in 2025.
2019Bristol-Myers Squibb
Celgene acquisition closes
BMS completed its $74 billion purchase of Celgene on November 20, 2019, adding Revlimid, Pomalyst, Reblozyl and CAR-T programs. Celgene sold Otezla to Amgen for $13.4 billion to win regulatory approval.
2020Bristol-Myers Squibb
MyoKardia deal and a GAAP loss
BMS bought MyoKardia for $13.1 billion, gaining mavacamten (Camzyos). The deal's $11.4 billion in-process R&D charge pushed 2020 to a net loss despite $42.5 billion of revenue.
2020BYD
Launches the Blade Battery
BYD introduces the Blade Battery, an LFP cell-to-pack design that passes the nail penetration test without fire.
2022Bristol-Myers Squibb
Turning Point bought as Revlimid generics arrive
BMS completed the $4.1 billion purchase of Turning Point Therapeutics in August 2022 while volume-limited generic lenalidomide began eroding Revlimid, which had peaked at $12.8 billion in 2021.
2022BYD
Ends combustion-only car production
In March 2022 BYD stops making combustion-only passenger cars and focuses entirely on battery EVs and plug-in hybrids.
2023Bristol-Myers Squibb
Chris Boerner becomes CEO
Chris Boerner succeeded Giovanni Caforio as chief executive in November 2023 and became board chair on April 1, 2024. Weeks earlier BMS had agreed to buy Mirati, and in December it agreed to buy Karuna and RayzeBio.
2023BYD
Passes Tesla in quarterly BEV sales
BYD sells 3.02 million new energy vehicles in 2023, and its 526,409 battery EVs in the fourth quarter top Tesla's 484,507 for the first time in a quarter.
2024Bristol-Myers Squibb
Karuna, Mirati and RayzeBio close; Cobenfy approved
The three deals closed between January and March 2024. On September 26, 2024 the FDA approved Cobenfy, the first schizophrenia drug that targets muscarinic rather than dopamine receptors. The Karuna charge produced an $8.9 billion net loss for 2024.
2024BYD
Takes full ownership of Denza
Mercedes-Benz sells its last 10% of Denza in July 2024, leaving BYD as the sole shareholder of its premium brand.
2025Bristol-Myers Squibb
BioNTech partnership, Orbital deal and $48.2B revenue
BMS agreed in June 2025 to co-develop BioNTech's bispecific BNT327 and in October 2025 to buy Orbital Therapeutics for $1.5 billion. Full-year revenue was $48.2 billion with the Growth Portfolio up 17 percent.
2025BYD
Berkshire Hathaway exits
Berkshire Hathaway confirms in September 2025 that it has sold its entire BYD stake, ending a 17-year investment.
2025BYD
Becomes the world's top battery EV seller
BYD sells 2.26 million battery EVs in 2025 against Tesla's 1.64 million, and 4.6 million new energy vehicles in total.
2026Bristol-Myers Squibb
Guidance raised and merger reports denied
On July 30, 2026 BMS raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $49.0 to $50.0 billion after second-quarter revenue of $12.97 billion. In August, reports of AstraZeneca merger talks were followed by a senior source telling Reuters there were no discussions.
2026BYD
Unveils Blade Battery 2.0 and FLASH charging
On March 5, 2026 BYD unveils the second-generation Blade Battery, which charges from 10% to 70% in about five minutes, and plans 20,000 FLASH charging stations in China by the end of 2026.
2026BYD
Overseas revenue passes China
In the first half of 2026 BYD's overseas revenue of ~$25.2 billion (CN¥181.3 billion) exceeds revenue from China for the first time, even as group revenue falls 7.1% to ~$47.9 billion (CN¥344.8 billion).
Acquisitions
Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Orbital Therapeutics2025$1.5B
- Mirati Therapeutics2024$4.8B
- RayzeBio2024$4.1B
- Karuna Therapeutics2024$14B
- Turning Point Therapeutics2022$4.1B
- MyoKardia2020$13.1B
BYD
- Denza (remaining stake from Mercedes-Benz)2024Undisclosed
- Jabil mobile electronics manufacturing business (China)2023$2B
- Xi'an Qinchuan Automobile2003$32M
Questions about Bristol-Myers Squibb vs BYD
Who is the CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and BYD Company Ltd?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is led by Christopher Boerner and BYD Company Ltd is led by Wang Chuanfu. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Bristol-Myers Squibb Company founded vs BYD Company Ltd?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company was founded in 1887 — 108 years before BYD Company Ltd, which was founded in 1995. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger BYD Company Ltd.
How many employees does Bristol-Myers Squibb Company have compared to BYD Company Ltd?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company employs approximately 32,500 people, while BYD Company Ltd employs approximately 911,900. BYD Company Ltd has the larger workforce at 911,900 employees, compared to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's 32,500. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and BYD Company Ltd headquartered?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is headquartered in United States and BYD Company Ltd is headquartered in China. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and BYD Company Ltd?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company was founded by Edward Robinson Squibb, William McLaren Bristol, John Ripley Myers. BYD Company Ltd was founded by Wang Chuanfu, Lu Xiangyang.
Which company has a longer operating history — Bristol-Myers Squibb Company or BYD Company Ltd?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has been operating for approximately 139 years, making it the more established of the two companies. BYD Company Ltd has been in operation for around 31 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 Bristol-Myers Squibb vs BYD overview