Numbers

The Big Six Accounting Firms

• Arthur Andersen (no longer in existence)
• Coopers & Lybrand (merged with Price Waterhouse in 1998)
• Deloitte & Touche
• Ernst & Young
• KPMG Peat Marwick
• Price Waterhouse

Prior to 1989, the major accounting firms were nicknamed "The Big Eight." But in 1989 four of the firms merged (Ernst & Whinney merged with Arthur Young to form Ernst & Young and Deloitte, Haskins & Sells merged with Touche Ross to form Deloitte & Touche).  In 1998, the Big Six became the Big Five when Coopers & Lybrand merged with Price Waterhouse to form PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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