Charles Schwab: Founder of The Charles Schwab Corporation
Business Owner · Financial Services
Charles Schwab pioneered discount stock brokerage in 1975 and built the largest discount securities dealer in the United States.
About Charles Schwab: Founder of The Charles Schwab Corporation
Charles Robert Schwab Sr. (born July 29, 1937, in Sacramento, California) is an American investor and financial executive, the founder and chairman of the Charles Schwab Corporation. He pioneered discount sales of equity securities starting in 1975, and his company became by far the largest discount securities dealer in the United States. He semi-retired in 2008 when he stepped down as CEO but remains chairman and largest shareholder. As of January 2026 Forbes estimated his net worth at $13.5 billion, the 215th richest person in the world. Schwab is the son of Terrie and Lloyd Schwab; his father was a lawyer and the district attorney of Yolo County. He grew up in Woodland, California, before moving to Santa Barbara at 12, and in his youth worked several jobs, including as an ice cream salesman, a railroad switchman, an oil-field roustabout and a caddie. At Santa Barbara High School he captained the golf team, and he attended pre-college school at Holy Rosary Academy in Woodland. He graduated from Stanford University in 1959 with a BA in economics and from Stanford Graduate School of Business with an MBA in 1961. Sources: English Wikipedia (Charles R. Schwab, accessed September 2026).
Basic Information
Founder and Chairman, The Charles Schwab Corporation
Company Details
The Charles Schwab Corporation
Discount Brokerage, Wealth Management