Big Four Companies and Founders’ Details
- October 30, 2025
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Big Four Companies and Founders’ Details
It is a dream of many aspiring professionals in the fields of accounting, auditing and finance to join one of the Big Four companies as a consultant, auditor or analyst. Almost everyone in these fields knows what the Big Four companies are.
These companies are often approached by large corporations and governments across the world for assistance in auditing, taxation consulting and financial advisory services.
In this blog post, we shall discuss the Big Four company details, including their founders, headquarters and more!
What are the Big Four Companies?
“The Big Four" is a popular term to describe the four largest professional services networks in the world: Deloitte, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), EY (Ernst & Young) and KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler).
These firms are known for their expertise when it comes to auditing, tax, management consulting, valuation, market research, actuarial, corporate finance and other professional services. They are comparable in size due to their revenue and workforce.
Details of Big Four Firms
Now, let’s get into details of the Big 4 accounting firms:
1. Deloitte
Year of Establishment: 1845
Deloitte is one of the top consulting service providers across the globe. It is often regarded as one of the big 4 accounting firms. Deloitte was founded in 1845, in Basinghall Street in London, England.
The credit for founding the company goes to William Welch Deloitte. He was the first person to be appointed an independent auditor of a public company, namely the Great Western Railway.
What started as a British firm is now a global network with offices and operations spread across the world. According to the official website of Deloitte, the company operates in over 150 countries and territories.
In India, Deloitte has several offices located in Mumbai, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Noida. At present, the Global CEO of Deloitte is Joe Ucuzoglu, an American businessman.
Some popular services offered by Deloitte include the following:
(i) independent audits and a range of assurance services related to financial and non-financial information;
(ii) cybersecurity services, business tax, international tax, indirect tax, and tax technology consulting services;
(iii) assistance with risk advisory, regulatory compliance and forensic investigations,
(iv) mergers and acquisitions;
(v) corporate restructuring;
(vi) assistance in legal and compliance matters.
The global headquarters of Deloitte is located in London, England. Deloitte's global headquarters is located in London, England. The company is officially known as Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Its main office is located at 1 New Street Square, London, UK, as of 27 October 2025.
2. PwC
Year of Establishment: 1998
PwC full form is PricewaterhouseCoopers. It is regarded as one of the Big 4 companies in the world. Like Deloitte, PwC is also a British multinational professional services network. PwC main headquarters is located at 1 Embankment Place in London, United Kingdom, as of 27 October 2025.
PwC came into existence in 1998 as result of merger of two long-established accounting firms, namely Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand. Let’s look into the details of these firms to better understand how PwC came into existence:
(i) Price Waterhouse
The firm traces its origins to 1849 when Samuel Lowell Price established his accounting practice in London. In 1865, he partnered with William Hopkins Holyland and Edwin Waterhouse, forming Price, Holyland & Waterhouse.
After Holyland’s exit, the firm was renamed Price, Waterhouse & Co. in 1874, marking the beginning of its global expansion.
(ii) Coopers & Lybrand
This firm began in 1854 when William Cooper set up his practice in London. This firm began to be known by the name Cooper Brothers in 1861. Later, an American firm called Lybrand, Ross Brothers & Montgomery was founded in 1898.
In 1957, Cooper Brothers merged with the American and a Canadian firm to create Coopers & Lybrand, which went on to become a major international accounting network.
When Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand merged, PricewaterhouseCoopers was formed. Some popular services offered by PwC include Audit and Assurance, Financial Statement Audit and Capital Market Accounting Advisory Services (CMAAS). PwC is the second-largest professional services network in the world after Deloitte. As of FY 2024, PwC operates in 149 countries.
It has several offices in India in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. In September 2010, the brand adopted the simplified name PwC as part of a rebranding initiative. PwC Global Chairman is Mohamed Kande.
3. EY
Year of Establishment: 1989
EY, previously known as Ernst & Young, is a leading accounting firm in the world and is a part of the ‘Big 4’ firms. It is based in London, United Kingdom. The EY network comprises member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee. Each and every EY member firm is a separate and distinct legal entity that operates in an independent manner.
EY is known for providing assurance, tax, information technology services (including managed services in areas like Cybersecurity, Cloud, Digital Transformation and AI), consulting, and advisory services to its clients. The offices of EY span across over 150 countries and territories.
The present partnership of EY was formed in 1989 as a result of merger of two accounting firms, namely, Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co. The Ernst & Whinney was a partnership formed from the merger of an American firm, Ernst & Ernst (founded by Alwin C. Ernst and Theodore Ernst), and a British firm, Whinney, Smith & Whinney (founded by Frederick Whinney ).
On the other hand, Arthur Young & Co. (founded by Arthur Young) was a partnership also consisting of both American and British firms. In 1989, Ernst & Whinney merged with Arthur Young & Co. to create the global firm Ernst & Young. It was named Ernst & Young until it officially changed its name to EY in 2013 as part of a rebranding initiative. The EY Global CEO and Chairperson is Janet Truncale, as of 27 October 2025.
EY has various offices in India, located in cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida, Pune and Trivandrum.
4. KPMG
Year of Establishment: 1987
KPMG full form is Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler, the last names of the firm's four founding members: Piet Klynveld, William Barclay Peat, James Marwick and Reinhard Goerdeler. Founded in 1987, KPMG is a British multinational professional services network. It is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Along with EY, Deloitte and PwC, KPMG is one of the big four accounting firms in the world. The Global Chairman and CEO of KPMG is Bill Thomas. KMPG has a major presence in India through several offices in cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Vadodara and Vijayawada.
The services provided by the accounting giant falls under three main categories namely: Audit, Tax and Advisory. Under these categories, the sub-categories include independent examinations of financial records for statutory and regulatory compliance, internal audit services, tax planning, business tax strategies and compliance advisory services, mergers and acquisitions, management consulting, etc.
Conclusion
The Big Four accounting firms in the world are Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG. All these companies are well known by most professionals employed in the finance sector. They provide professional services like audit, assurance, taxation, management consulting, valuation, market research, actuarial, corporate finance and legal services.
Need professional guidance and full-fledged assistance in taxation or business auditing? Connect with our compliance consultants at Registrationwala as soon as possible!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What are the big four companies?
A. The big four companies are Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG.
Q2. When was Deloitte established?
A. Deloitte was established in 1845.
Q3. In which year was PwC founded?
A. PwC was founded in 1998.
Q4. In which year was EY founded?
A. EY was founded in 1989.
Q5. When was KMPG established?
A. KPMG was established in 1987.
Q6. Who was the founder of Deloitte?
A. Deloitte founder was William Welch Deloitte. The company is named after his surname.
Q7. Who were the founders of PwC?
A. The PwC founders were Edwin Waterhouse, Jonathan Kogan, Martin Prescher, Samuel Lowell Price and William Cooper.
Q8. Who were the founders of EY?
A. EY was founded by Arthur Young and Alwin C. Ernst. In the early 1900s, they started their respective accounting firms, i.e, Arthur Young & Co. and Ernst & Ernst. In 1989, these two companies were merged to form Ernst & Young. However, Young and Ernst themselves never met.
Q9. Who is the CEO of KPMG India?
A. KPMG India CEO is Yezdi Nagporewalla, as of 27 October 2025. He has been re-appointed for a second term that is set to begin in February 2027 and will span for three years.
Q10. Who is the CEO of EY India?
A. EY India CEO is Rajiv Memani, as of 27 October 2025. He is also the EY India Chairman.
Disclaimer: We have tried our best to provide our readers with the most accurate and up to date information in this article. However, we cannot guarantee the information’s full accuracy. Therefore, we do not recommend you to take any decisions based solely on the content in this article. We will not be responsible for any losses incurred.
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