Morgan Stanley MS

Morgan Stanley, founded in 1935 by Henry Morgan and Harold Stanley as a stockbroker's way to escape the Great Depression’s wreckage, has become a behemoth in the financial world, known for both its deft hand at high-stakes deals and its more regrettable missteps. With its name plastered on everything from high-frequency trading desks to massive merger and acquisition deals, the firm is synonymous with Wall Street excess. Its defining moment, undoubtedly, was the 2008 financial crisis when it had to teeter on the brink of collapse before receiving a $9 billion lifeline from Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. Valued comfortably in the multi-billions, Morgan Stanley has accumulated accolades like “Best Investment Bank” but hasn’t exactly been immune to scandals—remember the $1.6 billion settlement over mortgage securities claims? It’s had its share of high-profile executives too, like James Gorman, who’s tried to steer the ship amid turbulent waters. Through boom and bust, Morgan Stanley remains a symbol of both financial prowess and the occasional public relations fiasco, a constant reminder of the razor-thin line between genius and hubris on Wall Street.