Ownership record · Updated August 2026
Who owns LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). Microsoft acquired the publicly traded LinkedIn Corporation in 2016 for US$26.2 billion (announced June, closed December 2016). LinkedIn operates as a subsidiary of Microsoft and reports within Microsoft's segment disclosures.
The ownership chain
Ownership is rarely one hop. Here is the evidence chain for LinkedIn, from the entity that holds the trademark to the ultimate parent, with the record that establishes each link.
- LinkedIn CorporationOperating company / trademark holder (California)Source: USPTO trademark register
- Public shareholders (NYSE: LNKD, to 2016)Former ownersSource: SEC filings
- Microsoft CorporationUltimate parent since December 2016Source: Microsoft 10-K, SEC EDGAR
Note: It was Microsoft's largest acquisition until it closed the Activision Blizzard deal in 2023.
Ownership at a glance
| Brand | |
|---|---|
| Category | Professional network / technology |
| Operating entity / trademark holder | LinkedIn Corporation (Sunnyvale, California) |
| Immediate / ultimate parent | Microsoft Corporation |
| Parent public listing | NASDAQ: MSFT |
| Acquired by | Microsoft |
| Announced | June 2016 |
| Completed | December 2016 |
| Reported price | US$26.2 billion |
| Prior owner | publicly traded (NYSE: LNKD) |
Verify this ownership yourself (free)
You do not have to take our word for it. The ownership of LinkedIn is a matter of public record. Check it in minutes:
- Trademark owner, search USPTO Trademark Search for “LinkedIn”, 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.
LinkedIn ownership FAQ
Who owns LinkedIn?
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has owned LinkedIn since December 2016, when it completed a US$26.2 billion acquisition.
Was LinkedIn a public company?
Yes. LinkedIn traded on the NYSE under ticker LNKD until Microsoft bought it and took it private in 2016.
Does LinkedIn operate independently?
LinkedIn keeps its own brand and is run as a Microsoft subsidiary, but Microsoft is the owner and consolidates its results.
Sources & primary records
- LinkedIn - Microsoft acquisition
- Microsoft - 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.