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> Founded more than 250 years ago I wonder what the oldest company to go public is. This isn't easy to Google, because search engines want to give you the publ
by karaterobot 3y ago
> Founded more than 250 years ago
I wonder what the oldest company to go public is. This isn't easy to Google, because search engines want to give you the public company which is the oldest, even though that's not the same thing. I see this article about Birkenstocks, which company is apparently almost 250 years old. Surprising! But it does not mention Birkenstock being the oldest company at the time of IPO, so there must be an older one.
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1198324691/birkenstock-ipo-stock-clogs https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1198324691/birkenstock-ipo-st...
- wolverine876 3y agoI'd look for a business in a trade that goes back to ancient times, is in demand today, and needs capital. Maybe something more institutional, like a academic institution? A hospital? Also, I'd look in a country with both large securities markets and a long history (i.e., not the US). Maybe Japan, Italy, or France?
- sanswork 3y agoHudson Bay Company was ~340 years old when it IPOd.
- DaedPsyker 3y agoI don't know if this is the answer but Fiskars is an old company, founded 1649, which is publicly listed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiskars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiskars
- paulddraper 3y agoI believe the record is 613 years, by Stora Kopparbergs Bergslags AB, a Swedish mining company. It was founded in the 13th century as Stora Kopparberg (first record is a private stock sale in 1288). It went public on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1901. Today it's known as Stora Enso Oyi, following a merger with the Finnish company Enso in 1998.