IBM vs Morgan Stanley: Founders, CEOs and History
IBM was founded in 1911 by Charles Ranlett Flint and is led by Arvind Krishna. Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley and is led by Ted Pick.
Company facts
IBM
- Founded
- 1911
- Headquarters
- Armonk, New York
- Current CEO
- Arvind Krishna
- Employees
- 264,300
Morgan Stanley
- Founded
- 1935
- Headquarters
- New York, New York, United States
- Current CEO
- Ted Pick
- Employees
- 83,000
Founders
IBM
Charles Ranlett Flint
IBM possesses the most historic, foundational founding story in the entire history of modern computing, tracing its corporate lineage back to the genesis of data processing in the late 19th century and the aggressive, well-known leadership of a single, strong…
Morgan Stanley
Henry S. Morgan
Henry S. Morgan co-founded Morgan Stanley in 1935 after the Glass-Steagall Act required J.P. Morgan & Co. to separate its securities business from commercial banking.
Harold Stanley
Harold Stanley (1885-1963) co-founded Morgan Stanley in 1935 alongside Henry S. Morgan. Following the passage of the Glass-Steagall Act, which forced banks to separate commercial and investment banking, Stanley left J.P. Morgan & Co.
CEOs and their tenures
IBM
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr.1993–2002
Chairman and CEO
Gerstner was the first IBM CEO hired from outside the company, coming from RJR Nabisco and American Express. He cut costs, cut mainframe prices, kept the company whole, and grew services into IBM's largest business.
Source - Samuel J. Palmisano2002–2011
Chairman, President and CEO
IBM focused on higher-margin services and software during his tenure. Ginni Rometty succeeded him in 2012.
Source - Virginia M. Rometty2012–2020
Chairman, President and CEO
IBM sold or exited lower-margin businesses under Rometty and bought Red Hat for about $34 billion. Arvind Krishna succeeded her in 2020.
Source - James J. Kavanaugh2018–present
Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations, and Chief Financial Officer
Kavanaugh is IBM's main voice on free cash flow targets, which reached $14.7 billion in FY2025.
Source - Arvind Krishna2020–present
Chairman and CEO
Krishna, a long-time IBM Research and software executive, led the Red Hat acquisition before becoming CEO.
Source
Morgan Stanley
- James Gorman2010–2023
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Gorman's tenure moved Morgan Stanley toward recurring fee revenue. He became executive chairman after stepping down as CEO and left the board at the end of 2024.
Source - Ted Pick2024–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Under Pick, Morgan Stanley reported record 2025 net revenues of $70.6B and record Q2 2026 results.
Source
Timeline: IBM and Morgan Stanley side by side
1911IBM
Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company Founded
Charles Ranlett Flint merged the Tabulating Machine Company, International Time Recording Company, Computing Scale Company, and Bundy Manufacturing Company to form CTR - the company that would become IBM.
1924IBM
Renamed to International Business Machines
Under Thomas J. Watson Sr. CTR was renamed International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), reflecting the company's growing international presence and ambition beyond tabulating machines.
1935Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley Founded
Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley officially launch the top investment bank following the historic Glass-Steagall split.
1952IBM
IBM 701 - First Commercial Computer
IBM launched the 701, its first commercially available electronic computer, marking the company's decisive entry into the electronic computing era and beginning its dominance of the mainframe market.
1964IBM
System/360 Launch
IBM launched the System/360, a compatible family of computers spanning all price points. The $5 billion investment was the largest privately funded project at the time and established the mainframe industry standard for decades.
1981IBM
IBM Personal Computer Launch
IBM introduced the IBM PC, which standardized personal computing architecture and created the PC industry. The open architecture decision inadvertently created the Wintel duopoly that would ultimately commoditize IBM's own PC business.
1993IBM
Lou Gerstner Arrives - Turnaround Begins
Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Became CEO as IBM posted $8 billion in losses. His decision to keep IBM intact rather than break it up, and to pivot toward services, saved the company and redefined its business model for the next two decades.
1996Morgan Stanley
Acquired Van Kampen American Capital
Morgan Stanley acquired Van Kampen American Capital in 1996.
1997IBM
Deep Blue Defeats Kasparov
IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov, becoming the first computer to beat a reigning world champion in a full match and establishing IBM's brand in artificial intelligence.
1997Morgan Stanley
Merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co
Morgan Stanley merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co in February 1997.
2008Morgan Stanley
Bank Holding Company Conversion
Facing total catastrophic collapse, the firm converts into a traditional bank holding company to survive the global financial crisis.
2009Morgan Stanley
The Smith Barney Acquisition
then-CEO James Gorman masterminds the acquisition of Smith Barney, instantly creating a dominant retail wealth management leader.
2018Morgan Stanley
Acquired Mesa West
Morgan Stanley acquired Mesa West in March 2018.
2019IBM
Red Hat Acquisition Closes
IBM completed the $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat, the largest software acquisition in history at the time. The deal anchored IBM's hybrid cloud strategy and provided the OpenShift platform as the foundation for enterprise Kubernetes.
2020Morgan Stanley
E*TRADE Acquisition
Morgan Stanley dominates the self-directed brokerage market by acquiring E*TRADE for $13 billion.
2021IBM
Kyndryl Spinoff
IBM spun off its managed infrastructure services business as Kyndryl Holdings, removing approximately $19 billion in low-margin revenue to focus the remaining company on higher-margin software and consulting.
2021Morgan Stanley
Acquired Eaton Vance
Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance for $7 billion. Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance for about $7B, completed in March 2021, adding Parametric, Calvert, and Atlanta Capital.
2023IBM
Watsonx Platform Launch
IBM launched watsonx, its enterprise AI and data platform combining foundation models (Granite), data management (watsonx.data), and AI governance (watsonx.governance). The platform represents IBM's AI strategy for the generative AI era.
2024Morgan Stanley
Ted Pick Appointed CEO
Following a competitive internal succession, Ted Pick takes the helm to heavily drive the integration strategy.
2026IBM
Confluent Acquisition Closes
IBM completed its roughly $11 billion acquisition of Confluent, adding real-time data streaming used by more than 6,500 enterprises to its AI and hybrid cloud software.
Acquisitions
IBM
- Confluent2026$11B
- HashiCorp2025$6.4B
- Apptio2023$4.6B
- Red Hat2019$34B
- PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting2002$3.5B
- Lotus Development Corporation1995$3.5B
Morgan Stanley
- Eaton Vance2021$7B
- E*TRADE2020$13B
- Smith Barney2009Undisclosed
Questions about IBM vs Morgan Stanley
Who is the CEO of International Business Machines Corporation and Morgan Stanley?
International Business Machines Corporation is led by Arvind Krishna and Morgan Stanley is led by Ted Pick. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was International Business Machines Corporation founded vs Morgan Stanley?
International Business Machines Corporation was founded in 1911 — 24 years before Morgan Stanley, which was founded in 1935. International Business Machines Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Morgan Stanley.
How many employees does International Business Machines Corporation have compared to Morgan Stanley?
International Business Machines Corporation employs approximately 264,300 people, while Morgan Stanley employs approximately 83,000. International Business Machines Corporation has the larger workforce at 264,300 employees, compared to Morgan Stanley's 83,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are International Business Machines Corporation and Morgan Stanley headquartered?
Both International Business Machines Corporation and Morgan Stanley are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded International Business Machines Corporation and Morgan Stanley?
International Business Machines Corporation was founded by Charles Ranlett Flint. Morgan Stanley was founded by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley.
Which company has a longer operating history — International Business Machines Corporation or Morgan Stanley?
International Business Machines Corporation has been operating for approximately 115 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Morgan Stanley has been in operation for around 91 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 IBM vs Morgan Stanley overview