Key Takeaways
- Who owns LinkedIn? Microsoft Corporation.
- Microsoft announced the acquisition on June 13, 2016.
- The announced deal was valued at $26.2 billion.
- Microsoft completed the acquisition on December 8, 2016.
- LinkedIn retained its distinct brand and culture after the acquisition.
- Dan Shapero is LinkedIn’s CEO in 2026.
- Ryan Roslansky is now EVP of LinkedIn and Microsoft Office.
- LinkedIn has more than 1.3 billion members.
- LinkedIn has more than 70 million companies listed.
- LinkedIn reported $19.8 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue.
- LinkedIn remains a major business within Microsoft’s Productivity and Business Processes segment.
Who Owns LinkedIn?
Who owns LinkedIn? Microsoft owns LinkedIn. Microsoft announced its agreement to acquire LinkedIn on June 13, 2016, in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion, or $196 per LinkedIn share. The acquisition was completed on December 8, 2016.
LinkedIn did not disappear into Microsoft’s brand after the acquisition. Instead, it continued operating under the LinkedIn name, with its own professional network, products, leadership team, and business operations.
Microsoft’s original announcement specifically said LinkedIn would retain its distinct brand, culture, and independence.
Today, LinkedIn is one of Microsoft’s major businesses within its Productivity and Business Processes segment. Microsoft’s latest fiscal 2026 results reported that LinkedIn revenue increased 12% year over year in the fourth quarter.
LinkedIn Ownership at a Glance
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Who owns LinkedIn? | Microsoft |
| Parent company | Microsoft Corporation |
| Microsoft ticker | NASDAQ: MSFT |
| Acquisition announced | June 13, 2016 |
| Acquisition completed | December 8, 2016 |
| Announced transaction value | $26.2 billion |
| Price per share | $196 |
| LinkedIn CEO | Dan Shapero |
| Microsoft CEO | Satya Nadella |
| Members | More than 1.3 billion |
| Companies listed | More than 70 million |
| Fiscal 2026 LinkedIn revenue | $19.8 billion |
The latest LinkedIn figures show more than 1.3 billion members and more than 70 million companies on the platform. LinkedIn reported $19.8 billion in revenue for fiscal 2026.
When Did Microsoft Buy LinkedIn?
Microsoft announced the LinkedIn acquisition on June 13, 2016.
The agreement valued the transaction at $26.2 billion, based on $196 per LinkedIn share. Microsoft said the transaction was an all-cash deal and included LinkedIn’s net cash.
The acquisition was completed on December 8, 2016. Microsoft and LinkedIn then began operating as part of the same corporate organization while maintaining LinkedIn’s separate brand and culture.
Why Do Some Sources Say $27 Billion?
This is an important distinction.
The widely quoted acquisition value is $26.2 billion, which was the value Microsoft announced when the deal was agreed.
Microsoft’s financial reporting later used a different figure for the accounting purchase price. Therefore, an article should not present $26.2 billion and $27 billion as if one of them is simply a mistake.
For a reader searching Who owns LinkedIn, the clearest wording is that Microsoft announced the acquisition at $26.2 billion.
Who Founded LinkedIn?
Microsoft did not create LinkedIn.
LinkedIn was founded in 2002 and launched publicly in May 2003. The founding team included Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, and Jean-Luc Vaillant.
Reid Hoffman became particularly well known as LinkedIn’s co-founder and early leader. However, he does not own LinkedIn today because Microsoft acquired the company in 2016.
Microsoft’s original acquisition announcement identified Hoffman as LinkedIn’s chairman, co-founder, and controlling shareholder at the time of the transaction.
Does Reid Hoffman Own LinkedIn?
No.
Reid Hoffman was an important part of LinkedIn’s early history, but he is not the current owner of LinkedIn.
The ownership changed when Microsoft completed its acquisition in December 2016. As a result, Microsoft became the corporate owner of LinkedIn.
This is one of the most common points of confusion when people search Who owns LinkedIn.
Who Is the CEO of LinkedIn in 2026?
LinkedIn’s leadership has changed since Microsoft’s acquisition.
As of 2026, Dan Shapero is the CEO of LinkedIn. LinkedIn announced his appointment on April 21, 2026. He is responsible for running the company and leading its executive team.
This means older articles that list Ryan Roslansky as LinkedIn’s CEO are now outdated.
Ryan Roslansky moved into the position of Executive Vice President of LinkedIn and Microsoft Office. In that role, he remains part of Microsoft’s senior leadership team and oversees LinkedIn and Microsoft Office.
The distinction is important:
Microsoft owns LinkedIn. Dan Shapero runs LinkedIn. Ryan Roslansky has a senior executive role overseeing LinkedIn and Microsoft Office within Microsoft.
Does LinkedIn Operate Independently From Microsoft?
LinkedIn continues to operate as a distinct brand and business within Microsoft.
When Microsoft announced the acquisition, it explicitly stated that LinkedIn would retain its brand, culture, and independence.
That does not mean LinkedIn is an independent company outside Microsoft ownership.
Instead, LinkedIn operates as a Microsoft-owned business while maintaining its own products, professional community, leadership structure, and brand identity.
This arrangement has allowed LinkedIn to keep its recognizable identity while benefiting from Microsoft’s broader technology and business ecosystem.
Is LinkedIn Part of Microsoft’s Productivity and Business Processes Business?
Yes.
Microsoft reports LinkedIn within its Productivity and Business Processes segment.
Microsoft’s fiscal 2026 results continued to report LinkedIn revenue alongside businesses such as Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 within that segment. For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Microsoft reported that LinkedIn revenue increased 12% year over year.
This is why describing LinkedIn as simply an independent social media company would leave out an important part of its current corporate structure.
How Big Is LinkedIn Today?
LinkedIn has grown considerably since Microsoft acquired it.
The company currently reports more than 1.3 billion members and more than 70 million companies on the platform. Its network spans more than 200 countries and territories.
LinkedIn also reports more than 17,000 full-time employees and offices in more than 30 cities around the world.
That scale makes LinkedIn much more than an online résumé service.
Today, professionals use it for networking, job searches, learning, publishing, business discussions, recruiting, and career development. Companies use it for hiring, advertising, sales, employer branding, and professional outreach.
How Much Money Does LinkedIn Make?
LinkedIn has become a significant source of revenue for Microsoft.
For fiscal 2026, LinkedIn reported $19.8 billion in full-year revenue. LinkedIn said revenue increased 12% year over year in its fourth quarter, while global membership continued to grow at a double-digit rate for the fifth consecutive year.
LinkedIn’s business is not based on one product alone.
Its major commercial areas include recruiting and talent solutions, advertising, premium subscriptions, and sales-related products.
Talent Solutions
LinkedIn provides recruiting tools that companies use to discover candidates, contact professionals, and improve hiring workflows.
The company said in April 2026 that its agentic hiring products had passed a $450 million annual revenue run rate.
Advertising
LinkedIn also operates a large business advertising platform.
Its Marketing Solutions business helps companies reach professional audiences through LinkedIn’s network. In fiscal 2026’s fourth quarter, LinkedIn reported that Marketing Solutions revenue grew 16% year over year.
Premium Subscriptions
LinkedIn also earns money through paid subscription products that offer additional tools and features for professionals.
Premium continued to show double-digit growth in LinkedIn’s fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter update.
How Does Microsoft Benefit From Owning LinkedIn?
The acquisition gives Microsoft access to a massive professional network and a business platform that reaches people and organizations around the world.
It also creates opportunities to connect LinkedIn’s professional data and services with Microsoft’s wider workplace ecosystem.
Microsoft and LinkedIn have developed integrations involving products and services across Microsoft’s business portfolio. However, it is better to describe these as integration and collaboration between Microsoft and LinkedIn, rather than suggesting that LinkedIn has simply been absorbed into Microsoft 365 or Outlook.
The two businesses continue to maintain distinct products and brands.
What Happened to Jeff Weiner?
Jeff Weiner was LinkedIn’s CEO when Microsoft announced the acquisition in 2016.
Microsoft’s original announcement said Weiner would remain CEO after the acquisition and report to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Weiner later stepped down as CEO in 2020, when Ryan Roslansky became CEO.
However, Ryan Roslansky is no longer LinkedIn’s CEO as of 2026. Dan Shapero took over the CEO position in April 2026.
That update matters because many older ownership articles still stop at the 2020 leadership change.
LinkedIn’s Growth Under Microsoft
The Microsoft acquisition did not turn LinkedIn into a conventional Microsoft software product.
Instead, LinkedIn continued developing its own professional network while expanding its commercial businesses.
The platform now reaches more than 1.3 billion members, while LinkedIn’s annual revenue has reached $19.8 billion.
Artificial intelligence has also become increasingly important.
In 2026, LinkedIn reported growing adoption of AI-powered hiring products, with recruiters at more than 20,000 companies using its AI hiring solutions, according to the company’s fourth-quarter update.
LinkedIn Ownership vs. Leadership
It is easy to confuse ownership with management.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who owns LinkedIn? | Microsoft |
| Who runs LinkedIn? | Dan Shapero |
| Who is Microsoft’s CEO? | Satya Nadella |
| Who is LinkedIn’s EVP within Microsoft? | Ryan Roslansky |
| Who co-founded LinkedIn? | Reid Hoffman and four other co-founders |
| Who owned LinkedIn before Microsoft? | LinkedIn shareholders |
| Is LinkedIn still a separate brand? | Yes |
So, if someone asks Who owns LinkedIn, the answer should not be Reid Hoffman, Jeff Weiner, Ryan Roslansky, or Satya Nadella.
The corporate owner is Microsoft Corporation.
Common Mistakes About LinkedIn Ownership
“Reid Hoffman owns LinkedIn.”
This is outdated. Hoffman was a co-founder and controlling shareholder when Microsoft announced the acquisition, but Microsoft became the owner after completing the transaction in 2016.
“Ryan Roslansky is still LinkedIn’s CEO.”
This is also outdated. Dan Shapero became CEO in April 2026.
“LinkedIn is completely independent from Microsoft.”
Not quite. LinkedIn retains its own brand and business identity, but it is owned by Microsoft.
“Microsoft bought LinkedIn for exactly $27 billion.”
The original announced transaction value was $26.2 billion. The higher figure comes from Microsoft’s later accounting treatment, so the two numbers should be explained rather than treated as interchangeable.
Conclusion
So, who owns LinkedIn? The answer is Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft agreed to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in June 2016 and completed the acquisition on December 8 of that year. LinkedIn kept its own brand and professional focus, while becoming part of Microsoft’s larger business.
More than a decade after its launch and nearly ten years after Microsoft’s acquisition, LinkedIn has developed into a major global business. In fiscal 2026, it reported $19.8 billion in revenue and more than 1.3 billion members.
For BrandClickX, the key point is simple: LinkedIn is Microsoft-owned, but it still operates as the LinkedIn brand, with its own professional products, leadership, and global network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns LinkedIn?
Microsoft owns LinkedIn. Microsoft announced the acquisition in June 2016 and completed it on December 8, 2016. The announced transaction value was $26.2 billion.
Is LinkedIn owned by Microsoft?
Yes. LinkedIn is part of Microsoft and is reported within Microsoft’s Productivity and Business Processes segment.
Who is the current CEO of LinkedIn?
Dan Shapero is LinkedIn’s CEO as of 2026. He took over the role in April 2026.
Did Microsoft buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion?
Yes. Microsoft announced an all-cash acquisition valued at $26.2 billion, based on $196 per LinkedIn share.
When did Microsoft complete the LinkedIn acquisition?
Microsoft completed the acquisition on December 8, 2016.
Does Reid Hoffman still own LinkedIn?
No. Reid Hoffman is a co-founder, but Microsoft became LinkedIn’s owner after completing the acquisition.
Is LinkedIn part of Microsoft 365?
LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, but it remains a distinct professional networking business rather than simply being another Microsoft 365 application.
How many LinkedIn members are there?
LinkedIn currently reports more than 1.3 billion members worldwide.
How much revenue does LinkedIn generate?
LinkedIn reported $19.8 billion in full-year revenue for fiscal 2026.
