7 0 ; ▁Hay den ▁Stone , ▁Inc . ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ; ▁She ar son ▁Hay den ▁Stone ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁when ▁it ▁merged ▁with ▁She ar son ▁Hamm ill ▁& ▁Co .; ▁and ▁She ar son ▁Lo eb ▁R ho ades ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁merged ▁with ▁Lo eb , ▁R ho ades , ▁Horn b lower ▁& ▁Co . ▁ ▁With ▁capital ▁total ing ▁$ 2 5 0 ▁million , ▁She ar son ▁Lo eb ▁R ho ades ▁tra iled ▁only ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ▁as ▁the ▁largest ▁se cur ities ▁bro ker . ▁ ▁American ▁Express ▁( 1 9 8 1 – 1 9 8 5 ) ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁We ill ▁sold ▁She ar son ▁Lo eb ▁R ho ades ▁to ▁American ▁Express ▁for ▁about ▁$ 9 1 5 ▁million ▁in ▁stock . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁he ▁founded ▁the ▁National ▁Academy ▁Foundation ▁with ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fin ance ▁to ▁educ ate ▁high ▁school ▁students . ▁We ill ▁began ▁serving ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁American ▁Express ▁Co . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁as ▁chairman ▁and ▁CE O ▁of ▁American ▁Express ' s ▁ins urance ▁subs idi ary , ▁Fire man ' s ▁Fund ▁In sur ance ▁Company , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁We ill ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁his ▁prot ég é , ▁Peter ▁A . ▁C ohen , ▁who ▁became ▁the ▁young est