Quick Facts: Facebook
| Current Owner | Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) |
| Ownership Type | Public (dual-class share structure) |
| Controlling Shareholder | Mark Zuckerberg — ~13% economic stake, ~61% voting control via Class B shares |
| Founder(s) | Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes (2004) |
| Headquarters | Menlo Park, California, USA |
| Founded | 2004 (as TheFacebook, Harvard dorm room) |
| Current CEO | Mark Zuckerberg |
| Parent Company | Meta Platforms, Inc. |
Who Owns Facebook?
Facebook is owned by Meta Platforms, Inc., the publicly traded company Mark Zuckerberg renamed the business to in 2021.
Zuckerberg holds only about 13% of Meta’s economic equity, but Meta’s dual-class share structure gives his Class B shares 10 votes each versus 1 vote for ordinary Class A shares — putting roughly 61% of total voting power in his hands alone.
That structure has been in place since before Facebook’s 2012 IPO, specifically so Zuckerberg could keep long-term control even as outside investors bought in.
Facebook Ownership History
Facebook started as a Harvard dorm-room project and has had exactly one controlling owner ever since — but the corporate structure around it has changed twice.
| Year | Event | Owner / Key Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Founded as “TheFacebook” | Mark Zuckerberg + 4 co-founders | Harvard College dorm room |
| 2012 | IPO on NASDAQ | Public shareholders + Zuckerberg | Dual-class structure preserves Zuckerberg control |
| 2012 | Instagram acquired | Facebook Inc. | ~$1 billion |
| 2014 | WhatsApp acquired | Facebook Inc. | ~$19 billion |
| 2021–Present | Renamed Meta Platforms, Inc. | Mark Zuckerberg (controlling) | NASDAQ: META |
About Meta Platforms
Meta is the parent company for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads — a family of apps that collectively reaches billions of people every month.
Zuckerberg has steered Meta’s spending heavily toward AI infrastructure and the metaverse/Reality Labs division in recent years, alongside the core advertising business that still generates the overwhelming majority of Meta’s revenue.
Key Ownership Highlights
- One founder, one controlling owner, for over two decades — unlike most companies this size, Facebook/Meta has never changed hands. Zuckerberg has run it since a Harvard dorm room in 2004.
- Dual-class shares are the real story here — Zuckerberg’s ~13% economic stake would normally mean limited say at a public company, but Class B shares carrying 10 votes each give him roughly 61% of total voting power.
- Instagram and WhatsApp were bought, not built — the two other flagship Meta apps came from acquisitions ($1 billion for Instagram in 2012, $19 billion for WhatsApp in 2014), both approved because Zuckerberg’s voting control meant no outside shareholder could block the deals.
- The 2021 rename to Meta wasn’t cosmetic — it reflected a strategic pivot toward AI and the metaverse/Reality Labs, a bet that has cost tens of billions of dollars with mixed results so far.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Facebook today?
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) owns Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg is the controlling shareholder, with roughly 61% of total voting power despite holding only about 13% of the economic equity.
Who founded Facebook and when?
Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004 at Harvard College, along with Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.
Has Facebook changed ownership?
No — Zuckerberg has remained the controlling owner since founding it in 2004, through the 2012 IPO and the 2021 rename to Meta Platforms.
Is Facebook publicly traded?
Facebook itself isn’t separately listed, but its parent Meta Platforms trades on NASDAQ under the ticker META. Vanguard and BlackRock are among the largest institutional shareholders by economic stake, though neither comes close to Zuckerberg’s voting control.
What other apps does Meta own besides Facebook?
Instagram (acquired 2012), WhatsApp (acquired 2014), and Threads (launched 2023) are all part of the Meta family alongside Facebook.
Part of the Meta Family
Facebook is one of four apps under Meta Platforms. Here’s the rest of the family we’ve covered:
(Threads doesn’t have its own post yet — on the list to cover.)
