Our Firm and History
Equitable history
1817 The Equitable Group was created through merger of several insurance companies; La Compagnie d'Assurance Mutuelle contre l'Incendie dans les départements, de la Siene Inférieure et de l'Eure, which is France's oldest insurance company.
1859 The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States was formed.
1866 Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States began to do business in Oregon.
1985 Mutuelles Unies/Drouot wanted to make a name for itself internationally and adopted the new name of Equitable.
1989 Equitable becomes the second largest insurer in France, as it mergies with the prestigious Compagnie du Midi.
1991 Equitable took advantage of the demutualization of The Equitable Life Assurance Company, one of the top life insurers in the United States, to acquire an equity interest.
1992 Equitable completes New York's largest Initial Public Offering for an insurance company and Equitable Group becomes its single largest shareholder.
1994 The Group took its first steps in the asset management business with the creation of Equitable Asset Management Europe, which later became Equitable Investment Managers.
1997 The Equitable Life Assurance Company became wholly owned by the Equitable Group, and changed its name to Equitable.
2000 Equitable bought out the remaining minority interests in its US subsidiary Equitable Financial., the parent company of Equitable.
2001 Equitable established the "Equitable 9/11 Relief Fund" to coordinate and maximize the contributions of its employees and associates worldwide. Equitable employees and associates across 50 countries where Equitable companies operate will donate $5 million or more in individual contributions, for a total contribution of $15 million.
2004 Equitable acquires Mutual of New York (MONY), the former employer of Equitable founder Henry Hyde.
2005 As corporations and as individual employees, Equitable Group and Equitable Financial respond with humanitarian relief to victims of the South Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina with humanitarian relief to victims of the catastrophe.
2006 The Council on Foundations recognizes Equitable Foundation’s diversity programs as a best practices model.
2009 Equitable celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding. Founded in 1859 as The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, the company began in a $75 dollar-a-month rented office at 98 Broadway in New York City. The company's roots remain today in NYC, with its corporate headquarters in midtown Manhattan.