Ernst & Young
One of the Big Four professional services networks.
Ernst & Young, now known as EY, is a multinational professional services network headquartered in London, England, and is one of the Big Four firms alongside Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC. The network provides assurance, tax, information technology services (including managed services in cybersecurity, cloud, digital transformation, and AI), consulting, and transactions advice. It is structured as a UK company limited by guarantee, with member firms operating as separate legal entities. As of 2026, EY employs roughly 406,000 people across more than 700 offices in over 150 countries and territories. The firm was formally created through a merger in 1989, though its oldest predecessor firms date back to 1849. In 2013, the organization changed its brand name to EY. EY has been ranked on Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For for 25 consecutive years, longer than any other accounting firm, and in 2023 it was the seventh-largest privately owned organization in the United States. However, the firm has repeatedly faced scrutiny over systemic issues in its training, hiring, and work culture. The network’s history includes several mergers, starting with Harding & Pullein in 1849, which later became Whinney, Smith & Whinney. In 1903, Ernst & Ernst was founded in Cleveland, and Arthur Young & Co. was established in Chicago in 1906. These firms allied with British counterparts, leading to the creation of Ernst & Whinney in 1979, which then merged with Arthur Young & Co. in 1989 to form Ernst & Young. A planned merger with KPMG in 1997 was abandoned the following year. In 2000, EY was the first of the Big Five to sell its consulting practice, to Capgemini for $11 billion. Following the collapse of Arthur Andersen in 2002, EY took on many of its clients. In 2013, EY was hired by the Vatican to review its finances, and also acquired all of KPMG Denmark’s operations. The firm expanded its strategy consulting capabilities by acquiring The Parthenon Group in 2014, rebranding the unit as EY-Parthenon.
- founded
- 1989 (merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co.)
- headquarters
- London, England
- field
- Professional services
- nationality
- United Kingdom
Lore & Background
EY is a multinational professional services network and one of the Big Four firms, alongside Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC. Its global headquarters is in London, England, where the parent entity, Ernst & Young Global Limited, is registered as a UK company limited by guarantee. The network operates through member firms that are separate legal entities, spanning more than 700 offices across over 150 countries and territories, employing roughly 406,000 people as of 2026. The firm provides assurance, tax, information technology services (including managed services in cybersecurity, cloud, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence), consulting, and transactions advice. Its origins trace back to predecessor firms founded in 1849, with the modern entity created by the 1989 merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co. In 2000, it became the first among the then-Big Five to sell its consulting practice, to Capgemini for $11 billion. The brand was officially changed from Ernst & Young to EY in 2013. EY has been ranked on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 25 consecutive years, longer than any other accounting firm, though it has faced repeated scrutiny over systemic issues in training, hiring, and work culture. In 2023, it was the seventh-largest privately owned organization in the United States.
Reader's Guide
EY, one of the Big Four professional services networks, operates as a global network of separate legal entities under Ernst & Young Global Limited, headquartered in London. As of 2026, it employs around 406,000 people across more than 700 offices in over 150 countries. The firm was created through a 1989 merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co., though its oldest predecessor dates to 1849. It rebranded from Ernst & Young to EY in 2013. EY provides assurance, tax, IT services (including managed services in cybersecurity, cloud, digital transformation, and AI), consulting, and transactions advice. In 2000, it became the first major firm to fully separate its consulting practice from auditing, selling it to Capgemini for $11 billion. It later expanded through acquisitions, including The Parthenon Group in 2014 and all of KPMG Denmark’s operations in 2013. EY has been ranked on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For for 25 consecutive years, longer than any other accounting firm, and in 2023 was the seventh-largest privately owned organization in the United States. However, it has faced repeated scrutiny over systemic issues in training, hiring, and work culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Ernst & Young important in the broader landscape?
As one of the 'Big Four' alongside Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC, EY helps set the global benchmark for audit, tax, and advisory work. Its reputations and decisions carry outsized influence on how industries are regulated and how public confidence in financial reporting is sustained.
What is Ernst & Young's nationality and how is it structured?
EY holds a United Kingdom nationality with its headquarters in London, England. Rather than being a single centralized corporation, it operates as a network of locally owned member firms that share the EY brand and standards across the globe.
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