Deloitte vs PricewaterhouseCoopers: Founders, CEOs and History
Deloitte was founded in 1845 by William Welch Deloitte, George Touche, Nobuzo Tohmatsu and is led by Joe Ucuzoglu. PricewaterhouseCoopers was founded in 1849 by Samuel Lowell Price, William Cooper, Edwin Waterhouse and is led by Mohamed Kande.
Company facts
Deloitte
- Founded
- 1845
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Joe Ucuzoglu
- Employees
- 473,050
PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Founded
- 1849
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Mohamed Kande
- Employees
- 364,000
Founders
Deloitte
William Welch Deloitte
William Welch Deloitte (1818-1898) opened his London accounting office in 1845. In 1849 he was appointed an independent auditor of the Great Western Railway, and he later served as president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
George Touche
Sir George Alexander Touche was a prominent 19th-century British accountant and a foundational founding figure behind the modern Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu global network.
Nobuzo Tohmatsu
Nobuzo Tohmatsu was a highly distinguished Japanese accountant, a former Imperial Navy Admiral, and the founder of the firm that provided the 'Tohmatsu' name to the massive Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu network.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Samuel Lowell Price
Samuel Lowell Price (1821-1887) was an English accountant who opened a practice in London in 1849. In 1865 he went into partnership with Edwin Waterhouse and William Holyland, the firm that became Price Waterhouse & Co.
William Cooper
William Cooper founded an accounting practice in London in 1854 that became Cooper Brothers & Co. as his brothers joined. The firm was known for insolvency and audit work, and in 1957 it combined with Lybrand, Ross Bros.
Edwin Waterhouse
Edwin Waterhouse (1841-1917) joined Samuel Lowell Price and William Holyland in 1865 in the partnership that became Price Waterhouse & Co.
William M. Lybrand
William M. Lybrand was an American accountant who, in 1898, formed Lybrand, Ross Bros. & Montgomery with brothers Adam A. Ross Jr. and T. Edward Ross and Robert H. Montgomery; the four had trained together at Heins, Lybrand & Co. in Philadelphia.
CEOs and their tenures
Deloitte
- Punit Renjen2015–2022
Former Global Chief Executive Officer
During his tenure, Deloitte's revenue grew from about $35 billion to more than $59 billion. He launched the WorldClass societal-impact program and the WorldClimate strategy, and became Global CEO Emeritus on retirement.
Source - Joe Ucuzoglu2022–present
Global Chief Executive Officer
Under Ucuzoglu, aggregate revenue rose from $64.9B in FY2023 to $74.5B in FY2026, and Deloitte launched the Zora AI agentic platform with NVIDIA.
Source
PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Bob Moritz2016–2024
Global Chairman
Led PwC through advisory, technology, and global client expansion as Global Chair from 2016 until his retirement at the end of his term on 30 June 2024, when Mohamed Kande succeeded him.
Source - Mohamed Kande2024–present
Global Chairman
Leads the PwC global network through AI investment, audit-quality focus, client reinvention, and professional-services market change. He began his four-year term as Global Chair on 1 July 2024, after serving as PwC's Global Advisory Leader since 2019.
Source
Timeline: Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers side by side
1845Deloitte
William Welch Deloitte Opens London Office
William Welch Deloitte opens an accounting office in London, establishing the Deloitte lineage.
1849PricewaterhouseCoopers
Samuel Lowell Price opens London practice
Samuel Lowell Price begins practising as an accountant in London, the root of Price Waterhouse.
1854PricewaterhouseCoopers
William Cooper founds his practice
William Cooper opens a London practice that becomes Cooper Brothers & Co.
1865PricewaterhouseCoopers
Price, Holyland and Waterhouse partnership
Edwin Waterhouse joins Price and William Holyland, forming the firm later known as Price Waterhouse & Co.
1898PricewaterhouseCoopers
Lybrand, Ross Bros. & Montgomery founded
William M. Lybrand, Robert H. Montgomery, Adam A. Ross Jr. and T. Edward Ross form the Philadelphia firm.
1899Deloitte
George Touche Establishes Predecessor Firm
George Touche establishes a predecessor firm that later becomes part of the Deloitte & Touche lineage.
1957PricewaterhouseCoopers
Coopers & Lybrand formed
Cooper Brothers, Lybrand, Ross Bros. & Montgomery and McDonald, Currie and Co combine as Coopers & Lybrand.
1968Deloitte
Tohmatsu Lineage Established
Nobuzo Tohmatsu helps establish the Japanese firm that becomes part of Deloitte's global network identity.
1989Deloitte
Deloitte Haskins & Sells and Touche Ross Merge
Deloitte Haskins & Sells and Touche Ross combine to form Deloitte & Touche in a major professional-services merger.
1998PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers created
Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand merge to form PricewaterhouseCoopers.
2002PricewaterhouseCoopers
PwC Consulting sold to IBM
PwC sells its consulting arm to IBM following Enron and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
2003Deloitte
Deloitte Brand Consolidates
The global network increasingly uses the Deloitte brand across member firms and service lines.
2010PricewaterhouseCoopers
Brand shortened to PwC
The network adopts PwC as its brand name, keeping PricewaterhouseCoopers as the legal name.
2014PricewaterhouseCoopers
Booz & Company acquired
PwC acquires Booz & Company and renames it Strategy&.
2022Deloitte
Joe Ucuzoglu Becomes Global CEO
Joe Ucuzoglu, CEO of Deloitte US since 2019, becomes Deloitte Global CEO on 31 December 2022, succeeding Punit Renjen.
2023PricewaterhouseCoopers
US$1 billion AI investment
PwC US announces a US$1 billion, three-year generative AI investment with Microsoft and OpenAI.
2024PricewaterhouseCoopers
Kande becomes Global Chairman; revenue reaches US$55.4 billion
Mohamed Kande succeeds Bob Moritz on 1 July 2024. FY2024 gross revenue rises 3.7% in local currency to US$55.4 billion.
2025Deloitte
FY2025 Revenue Reaches $70.5B
Deloitte reports $70.5B in aggregate global revenue for FY2025.
2025PricewaterhouseCoopers
Record US$56.9 billion revenue
FY2025 gross revenue reaches US$56.9 billion, up 2.7% in local currency, with 364,000 people in 136 countries.
2026Deloitte
Deloitte EMEA Launches
Following a partner vote, Deloitte EMEA launches on 1 June 2026, combining firms in more than 80 countries.
2026Deloitte
FY2026 Revenue Reaches $74.5B
Deloitte reports $74.5B in FY2026 aggregate revenue, up 3.8% in local currency.
Acquisitions
PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Booz & Company2014Undisclosed
- Diamond Management & Technology Consultants2010Undisclosed
Questions about Deloitte vs PricewaterhouseCoopers
Who is the CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and PricewaterhouseCoopers?
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited is led by Joe Ucuzoglu and PricewaterhouseCoopers is led by Mohamed Kande. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited founded vs PricewaterhouseCoopers?
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited was founded in 1845 — 4 years before PricewaterhouseCoopers, which was founded in 1849. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger PricewaterhouseCoopers.
How many employees does Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited have compared to PricewaterhouseCoopers?
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited employs approximately 473,050 people, while PricewaterhouseCoopers employs approximately 364,000. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited has the larger workforce at 473,050 employees, compared to PricewaterhouseCoopers's 364,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and PricewaterhouseCoopers headquartered?
Both Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and PricewaterhouseCoopers are headquartered in United Kingdom, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and PricewaterhouseCoopers?
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited was founded by William Welch Deloitte, George Touche, Nobuzo Tohmatsu. PricewaterhouseCoopers was founded by Samuel Lowell Price, William Cooper, Edwin Waterhouse, William M. Lybrand.
Which company has a longer operating history — Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited or PricewaterhouseCoopers?
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited has been operating for approximately 181 years, making it the more established of the two companies. PricewaterhouseCoopers has been in operation for around 177 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 Deloitte vs PricewaterhouseCoopers overview