Morgan Stanley vs Roche: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Morgan Stanley and Roche side by side

1. 1896Roche

   F. Hoffmann-La Roche Founded in Basel

   Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche founds the enterprise in Basel, Switzerland, pioneering mass-manufactured, chemically standardized prescription pharmaceuticals.

2. 1898Roche

   Commercial Breakthrough with Sirolin

   Roche launches non-prescription cough syrup Sirolin, achieving widespread international distribution and financing early clinical laboratories.

3. 1934Roche

   First Industrial Synthesis of Vitamin C

   Roche becomes the first company to mass-produce synthetic Vitamin C (Redoxon) at industrial scale, anchoring decades of high-margin global cash flow.

4. 1935Morgan Stanley

   Morgan Stanley Founded

   Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley officially launch the top investment bank following the historic Glass-Steagall split.

5. 1963Roche

   Launch of Valium (Diazepam)

   Roche introduces Valium, which becomes the world's most widely prescribed psychotropic medication and establishes global pharmaceutical leadership.

6. 1968Roche

   Establishment of Roche Diagnostics

   Roche launches its dedicated diagnostic division, laying the foundation to become the world's preeminent in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) provider.

7. 1996Morgan Stanley

   Acquired Van Kampen American Capital

   Morgan Stanley acquired Van Kampen American Capital in 1996.

8. 1997Morgan Stanley

   Merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co

   Morgan Stanley merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co in February 1997.

9. 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.

10. 2008Roche

    Severin Schwan becomes CEO

    Severin Schwan became CEO of F. Hoffmann-La Roche in 2008. Led Roche for 14 years; handed over to Thomas Schinecker in March 2023 and became chairman.

11. 2009Morgan Stanley

    The Smith Barney Acquisition

    then-CEO James Gorman masterminds the acquisition of Smith Barney, instantly creating a dominant retail wealth management leader.

12. 2009Roche

    Full Acquisition of Genentech for $46.8 Billion

    Roche completes its historic $46.8 billion buyout of American biotechnology pioneer Genentech, securing market leadership in oncology biologics.

13. 2018Morgan Stanley

    Acquired Mesa West

    Morgan Stanley acquired Mesa West in March 2018.

14. 2018Roche

    Foundation Medicine & Flatiron Health Acquisitions

    Roche acquires Foundation Medicine and Flatiron Health, integrating real-world oncology data analytics and genomic profiling into personalized healthcare.

15. 2020Morgan Stanley

    E*TRADE Acquisition

    Morgan Stanley dominates the self-directed brokerage market by acquiring E*TRADE for $13 billion.

16. 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.

17. 2023Roche

    Acquired Telavant

    F. Hoffmann-La Roche acquired Telavant for $7.1 billion. Roche paid $7.1 billion upfront for Telavant to gain US and Japan rights to the anti-TL1A antibody RVT-3101 (afimkibart) for inflammatory bowel disease.

18. 2024Morgan Stanley

    Ted Pick Appointed CEO

    Following a competitive internal succession, Ted Pick takes the helm to heavily drive the integration strategy.

19. 2025Roche

    Group Sales Reach CHF 61.5 Billion

    Under CEO Thomas Schinecker, Roche delivers group sales of ~$73.8 billion (CHF 61.5 billion), driven by ~$57.2B (CHF 47.7B) in Pharmaceuticals and ~$16.6B (CHF 13.8B) in Diagnostics.

Acquisitions

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