[3][4] In 1897, William Brooks Close paid £10,000 to the US government for the right to build Alaska's first railway the White Pass and Yukon Route.

[6] In the 1980s and 1990s, the company expanded through the acquisition of a specialist businesses including Winterflood Securities in 1993,[6] Hill Samuel's Corporate Finance Division in 1996[7] and Rea Brothers (established 1919) in 1999.

[9] In December 2008, it was confirmed that Close Brothers Private Equity would be spun off as CBPE,[10] and, in May 2009, it was announced that the corporate finance business was to be acquired by Daiwa Securities SMBC, a Japanese investment banking venture, leaving Close Brothers focused on capital markets, securities trading, lending and investment management.

[16][17] In September 2023, Close Brothers acquired Bluestone Motor Finance, an Irish provider of motor finance,[18][19] and, in December 2023, Close Brothers agreed to acquire Bottriell Adams, an independent financial advisor (IFA) based in Dorset, England, for £220 million.

[20][21] Close Brothers Banking division lends to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals and offers deposit taking.