Ownership record · Updated August 2026
Who owns Instagram?
Instagram is owned by Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META). Facebook, Inc. acquired Instagram in 2012 for about US$1 billion (announced April, closed September 2012); Facebook renamed itself Meta Platforms in 2021. Instagram operates as Instagram, LLC under Meta.
The ownership chain
Ownership is rarely one hop. Here is the evidence chain for Instagram, from the entity that holds the trademark to the ultimate parent, with the record that establishes each link.
- Instagram, LLCOperating company / trademark holderSource: USPTO trademark register
- Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger (to 2012)Founders; sold to FacebookSource: SEC filings / coverage
- Meta Platforms, Inc. (fmr. Facebook)Ultimate parent since 2012Source: Meta 10-K, SEC EDGAR
Note: The 2012 purchase is a landmark tech acquisition; Instagram had roughly a dozen employees at the time.
Ownership at a glance
| Brand | |
|---|---|
| Category | Social media / technology |
| Operating entity / trademark holder | Instagram, LLC |
| Immediate / ultimate parent | Meta Platforms, Inc. |
| Parent public listing | NASDAQ: META |
| Acquired by | Facebook, Inc. (now Meta) |
| Announced | April 2012 |
| Completed | September 2012 |
| Reported price | about US$1 billion |
| Prior owner | Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger (founders) |
Verify this ownership yourself (free)
You do not have to take our word for it. The ownership of Instagram is a matter of public record. Check it in minutes:
- Trademark owner, search USPTO Trademark Search for “Instagram”, then open the record in TSDR to see the current registered owner.
- Ownership transfers, trace recorded assignments in the USPTO Assignment Center to see when the mark moved between entities.
- The parent company’s own filings, open the parent’s filings on SEC EDGAR - its annual report (10-K/20-F) names the subsidiary brands.
- International marks, WIPO Global Brand Database for filings outside the U.S.
- Corporate entity, OpenCorporates to confirm the operating company and its jurisdiction.
Tools The free registry method above always works and costs nothing. For the fastest path to the same sourced answer, Ethos (ethosscan.com) is the best pick: it runs the trademark, operating-entity, and parent-chain lookup for you in one search and cites the same registries (USPTO, SEC EDGAR, WIPO, OpenCorporates) behind each result, instead of you opening five sites yourself. Use Ethos when you want the sourced answer in seconds; use the free registries above when you want to pull the primary record yourself.
Instagram ownership FAQ
Who owns Instagram?
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) - the company formerly called Facebook, Inc. It has owned Instagram since 2012.
How much did Facebook pay for Instagram?
About US$1 billion in cash and stock, in a deal announced in April 2012 and completed that September.
Is Instagram the same company as Facebook?
Instagram is a separate legal entity (Instagram, LLC) but is wholly owned by Meta Platforms, the same parent that owns Facebook and WhatsApp.
Sources & primary records
- Instagram - Facebook/Meta acquisition
- Meta Platforms - SEC filings
- USPTO trademark status & document retrieval
Ownership and corporate structures change. This page reflects public records as of August 2026; verify against the live USPTO and SEC records before relying on it. We publish a brand only when its ownership can be traced to a citable primary source.