Sea wave

Our history

The key milestones in our growth journey

Since Wilshire was founded in 1972, we have evolved from an investment technology firm into a global advisory company specializing in innovative investment solutions, consulting services, technology solutions and world-leading market indexes such as the benchmark Wilshire 5000
(now the FT Wilshire 5000).

Scroll through the timeline to learn more about our company history.

1972

American aerospace engineer and entrepreneur Dennis Tito founds the firm in Santa Monica, California with three employees. On April 28, 2001, Dennis became the world’s first space tourist as part of a visiting mission to the International Space Station.

American aerospace engineer

1974

Launch of Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index (now the FT Wilshire 5000 Index), named for the number of issues included at the time (approximately 4,700). By the height of the dot-com boom in the late 1990s, the index included more than 7,500 stocks.

Bull statue

1976

Launch of Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service, the world’s largest peer-universe service for US institutional invested plan asset performance, representing more than $4 trillion in assets under management today.

Earth surface

1981

Institutional advisory practice established to help the fund sponsor community address challenges at every stage of the investment decision-making process. Today, Wilshire advises on more than $1.3 trillion in assets.

Meeting notes

1996

Private equity fund-of-funds and specialty advisory practice established to meet growing demand for exposure to alternative investments.

London city view

2005

Intermediary advisory practice established to help intermediaries create customized investment solutions they can offer to retail investors. Today, Wilshire advises on over $370 billion in assets for more than 60 leading financial intermediaries.

Presentation

2014

Launch of Wilshire Liquid Alternative Index, a broad market measure for the performance of diversified liquid alternative investment strategies in mutual fund structures.

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2021

Wilshire acquired by private equity firms CC Capital Partners and Motive Partners.

2023

Launch of Wilshire Indexes, a new operating entity holding the global index platform.

We’re here to help

Wilshire has been applying highly tested theories and approaches to our client solutions since 1981.

You can count on our team of experts to help improve investment outcomes for a better future.

Contact us