The firm's origin dates back to 1947, when investor Jack Dreyfus founded a brokerage house in New York City named Dreyfus & Co.[2][3] In 1951, attracted by the concept of mutual funds, Dreyfus & Co. purchased a small management company named John G. Nesbett & Co., Inc. with a small common stock fund called The Nesbett Fund Incorporated.

[2][3] Going public in 1965, Dreyfus was among the first money management firms to tap into the stock market for additional capital.

The merger, a milestone in the history of financial services in the United States, was at the time the largest-ever combination of a bank and mutual fund company.

[5] The reach of Dreyfus' distribution capabilities now extends to the resources of BNY and its exclusive network of institutional asset managers.

Dreyfus products are delivered through a variety of distribution channels: intermediary (advisor-sold), institutional, and retail direct.