That American Express card you have in your wallet? It wouldn't be there if AMEX wasn't founded in Buffalo, NY, in 1850.

American Express was ranked as the 22nd most valuable brand in the world, estimating the brand to be worth US$14.97 billion and Fortune magazine ranked it at one point, one of the top 20 Most Admired Companies in the World.

In 1850, American Express was actually started as an express mail business. It was founded as a joint stock corporation by the merger of the express companies owned by Henry Wells, William Fargo  and John Warren Butterfield (any of those last names sound familiar?). Wells and Fargo went on and started Wells Fargo & Co. in 1852 when Butterfield and other directors objected to the proposal that American Express extend its operations to California.

From there it went off to New York soon after its creation.

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