E*TRADE

In 1982, physicist William A. Porter and his business partner Bernard A. Newcomb started a company called TradePlus with a simple idea: to make stock trading accessible to individual investors using personal computers. They launched their first electronic trade in 1983 over the CompuServe network. This early move laid the foundation for what would become a revolution in personal finance. In 1992, the founders officially launched E*TRADE Securities, Inc., as one of the first all-electronic brokerages, providing services through platforms like America Online and CompuServe. The company grew rapidly, and on August 16, 1996, it went public on the NASDAQ exchange. E*TRADE became a key player during the dot-com boom, empowering a new generation of retail investors. The company's journey culminated in October 2020, when it was acquired by financial services giant Morgan Stanley for approximately $13 billion in an all-stock transaction. The acquisition combined Morgan Stanley's established wealth management services with E*TRADE's powerful direct-to-consumer digital platform, creating a leader across all wealth management channels.