Fidelity

Fidelity in brief

• Rank: #68 of 100 in America's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026; #8 of 14 in Banking & Financial Services.
• WCRC Power Score: 71.28 out of 100.
• Founded: 1946, by Edward C. Johnson II.
• Owner: FMR LLC (Fidelity Investments, controlled by the Johnson family), Boston, Massachusetts.
• Leadership: Abigail Johnson, Chairman and CEO.
• Latest revenue: $37.7bn revenue (2025), as reported by Fidelity Investments, as per company filings.

What makes Fidelity powerful

Fidelity is where millions of Americans keep their retirement savings, from 401(k) plans run through their employers to individual brokerage and retirement accounts. The Boston firm's scale is vast. Its assets under management rose to $7.1 trillion in 2025, from $5.9 trillion a year earlier, and it manages and administers about $18 trillion across its businesses. That makes it the world's third-largest asset manager.

Fidelity's private ownership by the Johnson family lets it play a long game, and it has often moved early. It began building digital asset infrastructure as early as 2014, and it has since launched a crypto option for individual retirement accounts. Abigail Johnson says Fidelity is preparing for its "next wave of growth," and its new tools include electronic fund transfers through Stripe. For many savers, the Fidelity name signals safety, research and patience.

Fidelity began building digital asset infrastructure in 2014 and formally launched Fidelity Digital Assets in 2019.

Why Fidelity ranks #68

Fidelity sits at #68 with a WCRC Power Score of 71.28. It ranks just behind Estée Lauder and Gatorade and just ahead of Bank of America and PayPal. It scores well on consumer trust and on financial strength, built on decades of managing retirement money. Consumer brands like Gatorade beat it on positioning and recall in everyday life. Fidelity edges past Bank of America and PayPal through steadier trust and a cleaner record with customers.

The Achilles' heel

Fidelity's weak spot is protecting the data that its trust depends on. Between 17 and 19 August 2024, an intruder accessed its systems and obtained customer information. In May 2026 Fidelity agreed to a $2.5 million class action settlement, with individual payouts of up to $5,000. For a firm that holds people's life savings, any security lapse threatens its core promise, especially as low-cost rivals compete for the same savers.

The 2026 story

Fidelity's 2026 has blended record scale with new ventures. On 28 January it announced the Fidelity Digital Dollar, or FIDD, a stablecoin redeemable one-to-one for US dollars and aimed at both institutional and retail clients. Mike O'Reilly, president of Fidelity Digital Assets, pointed to the firm's "long-standing belief in the transformative power of the digital assets ecosystem." In early March its annual report showed assets under management had reached $7.1 trillion, helped by strong markets. In May the firm settled a class action over its 2024 data breach for $2.5 million.

Pillar profile

Provisional desk scores out of 100, for the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit to validate.

Versus its nearest rivals

Questions people ask

Also featured in

• Most powerful Banking & Financial Services brands
• Most powerful brands in Massachusetts

Key facts

Sources

• Published results and official announcements of FMR LLC (Fidelity Investments, controlled by the Johnson family)
• Company website, official announcements and press releases
• Published interviews and statements by the leadership
• WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer sentiment, ratings and reviews, search demand, media and social data