Charles Schwab
Founder & CEO of Charles Schwab Corporation (1971–2008)

Charles Schwab served as Founder & CEO of Charles Schwab Corporation for a verified duration of 37 years 3 months (13,606 days), from Apr 24, 1971 until Jul 24, 2008. During this tenure, Charles Schwab guided Charles Schwab Corporation across major corporate milestones before departing by retired.
Executive Succession & Corporate Facts
- Predecessor
- None (Founding CEO)
- Successor
- Interim / Search in progress
- Global Tenure Rank
- #7 Longest-Serving CEO in Database (View Full Rankings →)
- Company Founded
- Apr 24, 1971 (Westlake, Texas)
- Known Aliases
- Chuck Schwab, Charles R. Schwab
Tenure Milestones & Transition Timeline
First Commander Corporation Founded
Founded the brokerage firm that became Charles Schwab & Co., revolutionizing discount retail brokerage.
Discount Brokerage Launch
Pioneered negotiated discount commissions for individual investors following May Day deregulation.
Stepped Down as CEO
Succeeded by Walter Bettinger after 37 years and 3 months as CEO.
Related Leaders & Rankings
Complete list of all historical and interim leaders at Charles Schwab Corporation.
Rankings of chief executives across Financial Services.
Compare against all 31 recorded corporate executives in our database.