Walk into any Whole Foods Market today and you will notice something different about it compared to a regular supermarket. The produce looks better. The labels are cleaner. The prices are higher. And somewhere near the checkout, you can scan your Amazon Prime membership to get exclusive discounts.
That last detail tells you everything you need to know about who owns Whole Foods — because the company behind those Prime perks is the same company that owns every single one of Whole Foods’ more than 549 stores worldwide.
Who Owns Whole Foods Right Now in 2026?
Whole Foods Market, Inc. is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). There are no minority shareholders, no private equity partners, and no public shares of Whole Foods trading on any stock exchange.
Amazon owns it completely — and has done so since August 28, 2017, when it completed the largest retail acquisition in its history.
As of 2026, Whole Foods operates 549 locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, generating an estimated $22.4 billion in annual sales — a 40% increase since the acquisition closed.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy leads the parent organization, while Jason Buechel serves as CEO of Whole Foods Market and Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores, overseeing the entire Amazon grocery empire including Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Party | Role | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) | Direct Parent & 100% Owner | 100% of Whole Foods Market | Acquired August 28, 2017 for $13.7 billion in cash |
| Jeff Bezos | Amazon Executive Chairman | ~8.8–9.5% of Amazon | Largest individual Amazon shareholder; indirectly owns Whole Foods |
| Vanguard Group | Largest Institutional Amazon Shareholder | ~7.2% of Amazon | Passive index giant; biggest institutional indirect owner of Whole Foods |
| BlackRock, Inc. | Second Largest Institutional Amazon Shareholder | ~5.8% of Amazon | World’s largest asset manager; holds major Amazon stake |
| State Street Corporation | Institutional Amazon Shareholder | ~3.9% of Amazon | Major index fund manager holding Amazon shares |
| Jason Buechel | CEO of Whole Foods & VP of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores | Management role only | Leads Whole Foods since September 2022; reports to Amazon’s Doug Herrington |
| John Mackey | Co-Founder (exited) | No current stake | Founded Whole Foods in 1980; retired as CEO in September 2022 |
| Public Amazon shareholders | Indirect Whole Foods owners | Remaining AMZN shares | Anyone holding AMZN stock indirectly owns a piece of Whole Foods |
The Origin Story: $45,000, a Flood, and a Movement That Changed Grocery Shopping
Whole Foods did not start as a corporate giant. It started with two people, a borrowed $45,000, and a tiny health food shop in Austin, Texas.
In 1978, John Mackey and Renee Lawson Hardy opened a small natural foods store called SaferWay — a playful jab at the Safeway supermarket chain — in Austin, Texas. Two years later, they merged with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles, who ran a competing store called Clarksville Natural Grocery.
On September 20, 1980, the combined venture opened as the very first Whole Foods Market — a 10,500-square-foot store that was considerably larger than a typical health food shop of that era.
Just months after opening, disaster struck. A flash flood tore through Austin, causing an estimated $400,000 in damage to the uninsured store.
The founders had no insurance. But their community came through — loyal customers, neighbors, and local vendors helped them repair and reopen. That moment of community support became the founding mythology of a brand that would eventually span three countries.
By the late 1980s and 1990s, Whole Foods was expanding aggressively through acquisitions, buying up regional natural food chains and pioneering what would become the mainstream organic food movement. The company went public on NASDAQ as WFM in 1992, fueling further growth. By the time Amazon came calling in 2017, Whole Foods had grown to more than 460 stores and over $16 billion in annual revenue.
The $13.7 Billion Amazon Deal: Why It Shocked the World
When Amazon announced it was buying Whole Foods on June 16, 2017, the business world went into an immediate frenzy. Grocery stocks tumbled. Industry analysts called it a “seismic shift” in retail. And they were right.
Amazon completed the purchase on August 28, 2017, paying $42 per share in an all-cash transaction worth $13.7 billion — one of the largest retail acquisitions in history. The deal immediately took Whole Foods private, delisting it from NASDAQ after 25 years of public trading. From that day forward, Whole Foods became a wholly owned part of Amazon’s retail empire.
The strategic logic was clear. Amazon had spent years trying to crack the grocery market with services like Amazon Fresh, but building physical store infrastructure from scratch was going to take decades.
By buying Whole Foods, Amazon instantly acquired 460+ premium locations in desirable urban and suburban markets, a trusted brand with fiercely loyal customers, and an established supply chain for fresh and organic food. Amazon got everything it needed in a single transaction.
What Has Amazon Changed at Whole Foods?
The integration of Amazon and Whole Foods has been gradual but significant — touching everything from pricing to technology to staff pay.
Amazon Prime members now receive exclusive discounts at every Whole Foods checkout — a direct benefit that has driven Prime membership growth and deepened customer loyalty for both brands. Whole Foods stores serve as pickup and delivery points for Amazon’s online grocery orders, blurring the line between physical and digital retail in a way no competitor has matched.
In January 2026, Amazon announced plans to open 100 new Whole Foods locations across the country while simultaneously closing all remaining Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores — a major strategic pivot that concentrates Amazon’s entire brick-and-mortar grocery future into the Whole Foods brand.
And on September 10, 2026, Amazon announced a $230 million investment in pay and benefits for more than 100,000 US Whole Foods team members, raising average hourly wages above $21 — with total compensation including benefits topping $29 per hour. That raise took effect September 28, 2026.
Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel has also been pushing a format innovation — “Daily Shops” — a smaller, 9,000–12,000 square-foot version of the classic Whole Foods store, designed to fit into dense urban neighborhoods. There are already 12 Daily Shop locations — six in London and six in the US, mostly in Manhattan — with more planned as part of the 100-store expansion.
Who Is Jason Buechel? The CEO Running Whole Foods in 2026
Jason Buechel is the man running Whole Foods day-to-day in 2026 — and his story inside the company is one of quiet, steady ascent.
Buechel joined Whole Foods in 2013 as Chief Information Officer, where he spearheaded the grocery chain’s digital infrastructure and delivery capabilities. He rose to COO before being personally selected by co-founder John Mackey as his successor. When Mackey retired in September 2022 after 42 years at the company, Buechel stepped in as CEO. Under his leadership, Whole Foods has achieved what Amazon has described as “record sales growth.” He was then elevated to Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores, making him the single most powerful executive in Amazon’s entire grocery operation — overseeing Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and Amazon Go under one unified strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Whole Foods in 2026?
Whole Foods Market is 100% owned by Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) — a wholly owned subsidiary with no outside shareholders since August 28, 2017.
Q2. How much did Amazon pay for Whole Foods?
Amazon acquired Whole Foods on August 28, 2017 for $13.7 billion in cash — paying $42 per share in an all-cash deal.
Q3. Who founded Whole Foods and when?
Whole Foods was founded on September 20, 1980 in Austin, Texas by John Mackey, Renee Lawson Hardy, Craig Weller, and Mark Skiles.
Q4. Who is the CEO of Whole Foods in 2026?
Jason Buechel has served as CEO of Whole Foods Market since September 2022 and also holds the title of VP of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores.
Q5. Does Jeff Bezos own Whole Foods?
Not directly — but Jeff Bezos owns approximately 8.8–9.5% of Amazon, making him the largest individual indirect owner of Whole Foods through his Amazon stake.
Q6. How many Whole Foods stores are there in 2026?
Whole Foods operates 549 locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as of 2026, with 100 new locations planned for expansion.
Q7. What is Whole Foods’ annual revenue in 2026?
Whole Foods generates an estimated $22.4 billion in annual sales as of early 2026 — a 40% increase since Amazon acquired it in 2017.
Q8. Is Whole Foods still listed on the stock market?
No. Whole Foods was delisted from NASDAQ after Amazon’s acquisition closed in 2017 and no longer trades as a public company.
Whole Foods Market is 100% owned by Amazon.com, Inc. — acquired on August 28, 2017 in a landmark $13.7 billion all-cash deal that made Amazon the most powerful player in American organic grocery retail overnight.
No public shares of Whole Foods exist. No outside investors hold any stake. Every strategic decision flows through Amazon and ultimately through its shareholders — led by executive chairman Jeff Bezos (~8.8% of Amazon), and major institutional investors Vanguard (~7.2%), BlackRock (~5.8%), and State Street (~3.9%).
From a $45,000 borrowed startup in 1980 Austin, Texas to a $22.4 billion annual revenue grocery empire inside the world’s most powerful technology company — Whole Foods has traveled one of the most extraordinary paths in retail history.
And under CEO Jason Buechel, with 100 new stores opening, Daily Shops expanding, and a $230 million pay investment just announced, the next chapter looks even bigger.