IBM wasn't founded by a single person, but rather through a merger of several companies in 1911. Charles Ranlett Flint, a financier, is credited with bringing the companies together to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR), the precursor to IBM.

In 1892, he also merged several companies to form U. S. Rubber. In 1899 he repeated the same with Adams Chewing Gum, Chiclets, Dentyne, and Beemans to form American Chicle. He was also responsible for the formation of American Woolen in 1899.