Wells Fargo is an international bank with operations in more than 35 countries. It has over 70 million customers and about 270,000 employees. In the United States, it is the fourth largest bank by assets. Wells Fargo was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
The bank's international operations began in 1870 when it opened an office in New York City to serve eastern U.S. clients doing business with the Pacific Coast. In 1904, the bank expanded to China with a branch in Shanghai and within 10 years had branches throughout Asia. The first European office was established in London in 1919 followed by offices in Paris and Brussels before World War II. During the war, many of the bank's foreign offices were closed but reopened after hostilities ended. Today, Wells Fargo serves clients around the world through its network of branches, subsidiaries, and representative offices