Morgan Stanley vs Twilio: Founders, CEOs and History
Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley and is led by Ted Pick. Twilio was founded in 2008 by Jeff Lawson, John Wolthuis, Evan Cooke and is led by Khozema Shipchandler.
Company facts
Morgan Stanley
- Founded
- 1935
- Headquarters
- New York, New York, United States
- Current CEO
- Ted Pick
- Employees
- 83,000
Twilio
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Current CEO
- Khozema Shipchandler
- Employees
- 5,492
Founders
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.
Twilio
Jeff Lawson
Jeff Lawson co-founded Twilio in 2008 and was CEO until January 2024, leading it through its 2016 IPO and the SendGrid and Segment acquisitions. He wrote Ask Your Developer (2021) about developer-led software.
John Wolthuis
John Wolthuis co-founded Twilio in 2008. He architected the initial telephony backend that allowed developers to send text messages and make phone calls using a simple web API.
Evan Cooke
Evan Cooke co-founded Twilio and served as its first CTO. He was instrumental in designing the company's highly reliable cloud architecture, ensuring the API could scale to handle massive, instantaneous spikes in SMS traffic (such as during Uber surges or Airb…
CEOs and their tenures
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
Twilio
- Jeff Lawson2008–2024
Co-founder and CEO
As the long-time CEO, he aggressively scaled the company into a $60 billion behemoth before intense pressure from activist investors forced him to resign in 2024 following growth stagnation.
Source - Aidan Viggiano2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, she strictly enforces the new profitability mandates, cutting massive amounts of real estate and software expenses across the enterprise.
Source - Khozema Shipchandler2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Taking over as CEO in 2024, he shifted the company's focus away from unprofitable hyper-growth toward heavily optimizing the highly lucrative core communications platform.
Source
Timeline: Morgan Stanley and Twilio side by side
1935Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley Founded
Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley officially launch the top investment bank following the historic Glass-Steagall split.
1996Morgan Stanley
Acquired Van Kampen American Capital
Morgan Stanley acquired Van Kampen American Capital in 1996.
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.
2008Twilio
Company Founded
Jeff Lawson, Evan Cooke, and John Wolthuis founded Twilio and launched its first voice API for developers.
2009Morgan Stanley
The Smith Barney Acquisition
then-CEO James Gorman masterminds the acquisition of Smith Barney, instantly creating a dominant retail wealth management leader.
2010Twilio
SMS API Launched
Twilio added programmable SMS, which became its largest product line.
2015Twilio
Authy Acquired
Twilio acquired the two-factor authentication company Authy in 2015.
2016Twilio
NYSE IPO
Twilio listed on the NYSE under the ticker TWLO in June 2016, pricing shares at $15.
2018Morgan Stanley
Acquired Mesa West
Morgan Stanley acquired Mesa West in March 2018.
2019Twilio
SendGrid Acquisition
Twilio completed its all-stock acquisition of email platform SendGrid, announced at about $2 billion.
2020Morgan Stanley
E*TRADE Acquisition
Morgan Stanley dominates the self-directed brokerage market by acquiring E*TRADE for $13 billion.
2020Twilio
Segment Acquisition
Twilio acquired customer data platform Segment for about $3.2 billion, its largest deal.
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.
2021Twilio
Revenue Passes $2.8 Billion
Twilio reported FY2021 revenue of $2.842 billion, up 61% year over year, with a net loss of $949.9 million.
2023Twilio
Restructuring
Twilio cut about 17% of its workforce in February 2023 and made further reductions later in the year as it shifted toward profitability.
2024Morgan Stanley
Ted Pick Appointed CEO
Following a competitive internal succession, Ted Pick takes the helm to heavily drive the integration strategy.
2024Twilio
CEO Transition
Co-founder Jeff Lawson stepped down as CEO in January 2024 and Khozema Shipchandler succeeded him.
2025Twilio
First Full-Year GAAP Profit and Stytch Deal
Twilio reported FY2025 revenue of $5.067 billion and net income of $33.8 million, and completed its acquisition of identity platform Stytch on November 14, 2025.
2026Twilio
Growth Re-accelerates
Twilio reported Q2 2026 revenue of $1.50 billion, up 22%, and raised its 2026 revenue growth outlook to 18%-18.5%.
Acquisitions
Morgan Stanley
- Eaton Vance2021$7B
- E*TRADE2020$13B
- Smith Barney2009Undisclosed
Questions about Morgan Stanley vs Twilio
Who is the CEO of Morgan Stanley and Twilio Inc.?
Morgan Stanley is led by Ted Pick and Twilio Inc. is led by Khozema Shipchandler. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Morgan Stanley founded vs Twilio Inc.?
Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 — 73 years before Twilio Inc., which was founded in 2008. Morgan Stanley's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Twilio Inc..
How many employees does Morgan Stanley have compared to Twilio Inc.?
Morgan Stanley employs approximately 83,000 people, while Twilio Inc. employs approximately 5,492. Morgan Stanley has the larger workforce at 83,000 employees, compared to Twilio Inc.'s 5,492. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Morgan Stanley and Twilio Inc. headquartered?
Both Morgan Stanley and Twilio Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Morgan Stanley and Twilio Inc.?
Morgan Stanley was founded by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley. Twilio Inc. was founded by Jeff Lawson, John Wolthuis, Evan Cooke.
Which company has a longer operating history — Morgan Stanley or Twilio Inc.?
Morgan Stanley has been operating for approximately 91 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Twilio Inc. has been in operation for around 18 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 Morgan Stanley vs Twilio overview