Franklin Templeton

Founded in New York in 1947 by Rupert H. Johnson, Sr., Franklin Templeton began as a mutual-fund business and later moved its headquarters to California after acquiring Winfield & Company in 1973. The firm expanded through both organic growth and acquisitions, including its 2020 purchase of Legg Mason.

Franklin Templeton manages assets across equity, fixed income, multi-asset, alternatives and private markets for retail, institutional and wealth-management clients. Its platform includes specialist investment teams such as ClearBridge, BrandywineGLOBAL, Martin Currie, Western Asset, Clarion Partners, Lexington Partners and Benefit Street Partners.

The firm is especially strong where a large distribution and operating platform meets specialist investment autonomy: global fixed income, active equity, emerging-markets investing, private credit, real estate, private equity and other alternatives. Its private-markets expansion has been a major part of its recent strategy, alongside newer capabilities in ETFs, retail separately managed accounts and customized solutions.