# Franklin Resources

**Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/franklin-resources  
**Vertical:** Consumer Finance  
**Subcategory:** Enterprise  
**Tier:** Leader  
**Website:** franklinresources.com  
**Last Updated:** 2026-04-14

## Summary

San Mateo CA global asset manager (NYSE: BEN) ~$1.65T AUM, $5.2B FY2024 revenue; Legg Mason/Putnam multi-boutique, Western Asset outflows from 2024 regulatory issues, competing with BlackRock and Fidelity.

## Company Overview

Franklin Resources, Inc. (Franklin Templeton) is a San Mateo, California-based global investment management company — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BEN) as an S&P 500 Financials component — managing mutual funds, ETFs, institutional separate accounts, and alternative investments across fixed income, equity, multi-asset, and alternative strategies through approximately 10,000 employees serving clients in 165 countries. In fiscal year 2024 (ending September 2024), Franklin Templeton reported assets under management of approximately $1.65 trillion and revenues of approximately $5.2 billion, with the company navigating the transition from traditional active management toward alternative investments and ETF expansion following the transformative 2020 acquisition of Legg Mason ($4.5 billion — adding Western Asset Management, Brandywine Global, Clarion Partners, and other boutique managers) and subsequent acquisitions including Benefit Street Partners (credit), Lexington Partners (secondary private equity), and Putnam Investments (2023 acquisition expanding retirement plan distribution). CEO Jenny Johnson leads Franklin Templeton's multi-boutique strategy: preserving the investment independence of each acquired brand (Western Asset Management operates as an autonomous fixed income manager, Clarion Partners as a standalone real estate manager) while sharing back-office, compliance, distribution, and technology infrastructure to extract operating leverage from the combined firm's $5+ billion revenue base.

Franklin Templeton's global investment management model creates competitive advantages through the multi-boutique architecture's talent retention mechanism and distribution network depth: the boutique model (Western Asset, Brandywine, Clarion, Benefit Street, Lexington operating as named brands with retained investment team autonomy) attracts portfolio managers who want institutional investment credibility with enterprise-scale distribution rather than running independent RIAs — preserving investment talent that would otherwise leave an acquiring firm's culture-flattening integration. Franklin Templeton's global distribution network (offices in 25 countries, relationships with 100,000+ financial advisors, and direct institutional client coverage in 165 countries) provides each boutique brand with global reach that smaller independent managers cannot build organically. The alternatives expansion (private credit through Benefit Street Partners, private equity secondaries through Lexington Partners, real estate through Clarion Partners) positions Franklin Templeton in the institutional alternatives mandates where fees are 1-2% versus 15-20 basis points for passive equity — creating revenue per AUM dollar 5-10x higher than core mutual fund business.

In 2025, Franklin Templeton competes in global asset management against BlackRock (NYSE: BLK, $10T AUM, ETF and indexing dominant), Fidelity Investments (private, $12T+ AUM, mutual funds and brokerage), and T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ: TROW, $1.6T AUM, active equity and retirement) for institutional separate account mandates, retail mutual fund flows, and alternatives platform AUM. Western Asset Management's fixed income strategies faced significant 2024 challenges — Western Asset's co-CIO Ken Leech was placed on leave in 2024 following regulatory inquiries into trade allocation practices, triggering $36 billion in client outflows from Western Asset-managed accounts and prompting Franklin Templeton to manage the resulting operational and reputational impact. The Western Asset situation created headline risk for Franklin Templeton's overall AUM trajectory in 2024-2025 as institutional clients reviewed Western Asset mandates during the regulatory investigation period. The 2025 strategy focuses on Western Asset stabilization (new leadership restoring institutional client confidence), alternatives AUM growth through Lexington private equity secondaries and Benefit Street credit strategies, and ETF platform expansion targeting active ETF launches across Franklin Templeton's equity and fixed income investment capabilities.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What does Franklin Resources do?
Franklin Resources, operating as Franklin Templeton, is a global investment management firm that manages $1.69 trillion in assets. The company provides mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), alternative investments, retirement solutions, and wealth management services to individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton specializes in active investment management across equities, fixed income, multi-asset strategies, and alternatives.

### Who are Franklin Templeton's customers and target market?
Franklin Templeton serves three primary customer segments: individual retail investors seeking mutual funds and ETFs for wealth accumulation and retirement, financial advisors and broker-dealers who recommend Franklin Templeton products to their clients, and institutional investors including pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm's global reach spans over 150 countries, serving both high-net-worth individuals and mass-market investors through various distribution channels.

### When was Franklin Resources founded?
Franklin Resources was founded in 1947 in New York City by Rupert H. Johnson Sr. as Franklin Distributors, Inc. The company has been led by three generations of the Johnson family, with Charles B. Johnson taking over in 1957, and his daughter Jennifer Johnson becoming CEO in 2020. The company has grown from managing $2.5 million in assets in 1957 to over $1.69 trillion today, spanning more than 75 years of investment management experience.

### Where is Franklin Resources headquartered?
Franklin Resources is headquartered in San Mateo, California, having moved from its original New York City location in 1973. The company maintains a significant global presence with offices across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, employing approximately 11,800 people worldwide. While San Mateo serves as the corporate headquarters, Franklin Templeton operates investment management centers in major financial hubs globally.

### What makes Franklin Templeton different from competitors?
Franklin Templeton differentiates itself through its 75+ years of active investment management expertise, specialized multi-boutique structure with distinct brands (Franklin for fixed income, Templeton for international, Mutual Series for value), and pioneering blockchain technology initiatives. The firm was the first to launch a U.S.-registered mutual fund on blockchain through its Benji platform and maintains one of the industry's most comprehensive digital asset ETF lineups. Additionally, the firm's family ownership (the Johnson family owns 44% of shares) promotes long-term strategic thinking over short-term pressures.

### Who are Franklin Templeton's main competitors?
Franklin Templeton's primary competitors include BlackRock (managing over $10 trillion in assets), Vanguard Group (known for low-cost index funds and ETFs), Fidelity Investments, State Street Global Advisors, and JPMorgan Asset Management. While these firms are larger in scale, Franklin Templeton competes through its strength in active management, specialized investment boutiques, global reach in emerging markets, and innovative technology platforms including blockchain-based investment products.

### How can I contact Franklin Templeton?
Individual investors can contact Franklin Templeton at 1-800-DIAL-BEN (1-800-342-5236) or visit www.franklintempleton.com. Financial advisors have dedicated support lines and relationship managers. The corporate headquarters is located at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403. Investors can also access account information, fund literature, and research insights through the Franklin Templeton website and mobile app.

### Is Franklin Templeton hiring?
Yes, Franklin Templeton actively recruits talent across investment management, technology, operations, distribution, and corporate functions. The company has been recognized in Pensions & Investments' Best Places to Work in Money Management in both 2023 and 2024 in the Super Employers category for firms with 1,000+ employees. Career opportunities and current openings can be found at www.franklintempletoncareers.com, with positions available globally across the firm's offices in over 30 countries.

### What's the latest news about Franklin Templeton?
Recent major developments include the November 2025 launch of the Franklin XRP ETF (XRPZ), expansion of the Franklin Crypto Index ETF to include XRP, Solana, Dogecoin, Cardano, Stellar Lumens, and Chainlink, and the integration of the Benji tokenization platform onto the Canton Network for institutional clients. The company completed its acquisition of Putnam Investments in January 2024, adding $142 billion in assets and significantly expanding its retirement platform. Franklin Templeton reported $1.69 trillion in AUM as of October 2025.

### What is Franklin Templeton's market position?
Franklin Templeton ranks among the top 10 global asset managers with $1.69 trillion in assets under management as of October 2025 and a market capitalization of approximately $14.2 billion. While smaller than industry giants BlackRock and Vanguard, Franklin Templeton holds strong positions in active fixed income management, emerging markets expertise, and blockchain-based investment products. The firm manages 455 open-ended mutual funds and over 55 ETFs, serving clients in more than 150 countries with a workforce of 11,800 employees.

### What are Franklin Templeton's revenue and financial metrics?
Franklin Templeton reported annual revenue of $8.73 billion for 2024, an increase from $7.87 billion in 2023, with a market capitalization of approximately $14.2 billion as of March 2024. The company manages $1.69 trillion in assets as of October 2025 across mutual funds, ETFs, and alternative investments. The firm employs 11,800 people globally with revenue per employee of approximately $665,203. Franklin Resources trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol BEN.

### What are Franklin Templeton's future plans?
Franklin Templeton's strategic priorities include expanding its digital asset and blockchain initiatives through the Benji platform across additional blockchain networks, growing its ETF business particularly in digital assets, integrating recent acquisitions (Putnam Investments, Legg Mason, Lexington Partners) to enhance retirement and alternative investment capabilities, and leveraging technology partnerships such as the collaboration with Microsoft Azure for AI-powered financial platforms. The firm aims to capitalize on opportunities in emerging markets, sustainable investing, and retirement solutions while maintaining its commitment to active investment management excellence.

## Tags

b2c, fintech, public

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*Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*