Brandtree

Who owns LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft (the United States, NASDAQ: MSFT), which acquired the brand on 8 December 2016.[1][2] LinkedIn was founded in 2003 in Mountain View, California and was independent until 2016.

Key facts

Current owner
Microsoft Corporation verified
Owned since
· deal details
Acquisition price
$26.2 billion (enterprise value)
Previous owner
Independent (2003–2016)
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, Redmond, Washington
Origin
🇺🇸 United States, Mountain View, California
Founded
2003
Category
Internet & digitalSearch & socialSocial networks
Parent ticker
NASDAQ: MSFT
Last verified
· 2 sources

About LinkedIn

LinkedIn was founded in 2003 in a living room and became the default professional network, valuable less for social activity than for recruitment and sales data. Microsoft acquired it in 2016 for $26.2 billion, its largest purchase until Activision Blizzard.

Ownership timeline of LinkedIn

Owners of LinkedIn from 2016 to 2026 Microsoft 2016–present Microsoft 201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027
  1. 2016 – present Microsoft acquired 8 December 2016 [1][2] verified

Where LinkedIn sits in Microsoft

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where LinkedIn sits in Microsoft Tree of 7 brands under Microsoft. Microsoft LinkedIn Activision Blizzard Bing GitHub Minecraft Skype and 1 more

Open the full Microsoft ownership tree →

Other brands owned by Microsoft in internet & digital

See the full Microsoft brand portfolio (7) →

Deals involving LinkedIn

Acquisition closed

Microsoft acquires LinkedIn

Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $196 per share in cash, valuing it at about $26.2 billion. It was the largest acquisition in Microsoft history until Activision Blizzard.

Value
$26.2bn
Seller
Regulatory
None recorded

Latest news about LinkedIn

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Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of LinkedIn?

The parent company of LinkedIn is Microsoft, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.

Is LinkedIn American?

Yes. LinkedIn originated in the United States in 2003 and its owner, Microsoft, is also headquartered in the United States.

When did Microsoft buy LinkedIn?

Microsoft completed its acquisition of LinkedIn on 8 December 2016, after announcing the deal on 13 June 2016.

Who owned LinkedIn before Microsoft?

LinkedIn was an independent company from its founding in 2003 in Mountain View, California until Microsoft acquired it in 2016.

Is LinkedIn still owned by Microsoft?

Yes. As of 6 September 2026, LinkedIn is still owned by Microsoft. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (2) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Microsoft Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-07-29 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 29 July 2026; retrieved 6 September 2026.
  2. [2] Microsoft Corporation Form 8-K — completion of LinkedIn acquisition — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 8-K, published 8 December 2016; retrieved 6 September 2026.

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