Wayne Enterprises was officially erected in the 19th century and thus is one of the oldest companies in the world. Although, it was founded by Bruce's ancestors as a merchant house in the 17th century, the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized his father's wealth and erected the Wayne Shipping company and also the Wayne Chemical company into the city. Thus it was officially erected in the 19th century. Along the years, it has evolved from a merchant house to a large multinational conglomerate company that can go up against its bigger competitor LexCorp. Education