Key Stats McDonald’s market capitalization stands at approximately $220 billion as of October 2025 Institutional investors control roughly 74.56% of McDonald’s outstanding shares The company operates over 44,000 locations across more than 100 countries worldwide Vanguard Group holds the largest stake with approximately 10% ownership worth $21 billion McDonald’s Corporation operates as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol MCD, with no single owner controlling the Golden Arches empire. Instead, institutional investors like Vanguard Group and BlackRock hold substantial stakes alongside millions of individual shareholders who collectively own this global restaurant powerhouse worth over…
Author: Darius
Darius
I've spent over a decade researching and documenting the stories behind the world's most influential companies. What started as a personal fascination with how businesses evolve from small startups to global giants turned into CompaniesHistory.com—a platform dedicated to making corporate history accessible to everyone.
Key Stats WhatsApp serves 2.95 billion monthly active users worldwide Meta acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014 Current valuation ranges from $50-70 billion Business messaging revenue expected to hit $7.3 billion by 2030 Meta Platforms, Inc. owns WhatsApp entirely as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The messaging giant revolutionized global communication since its 2009 launch, transforming from a simple status-sharing app into the world’s most popular messaging platform. Recent developments show WhatsApp expanding its business ecosystem significantly. The company introduced advanced payment features across India and Brazil, enhanced its Business API capabilities for enterprise clients, and integrated deeper into Meta’s advertising…
Key Stats YouTube has 2.7 billion monthly active users as of 2025, making it the second-largest social media platform globally Google acquired YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion, now valued at over $400 billion as part of Alphabet Inc. YouTube generated $36.1 billion in advertising revenue in 2024, with total revenue reaching $50 billion including subscriptions Alphabet Inc. reached a $3 trillion market valuation in September 2025, with YouTube as one of its fastest-growing segments YouTube is owned by Google, which acquired the video-sharing platform in October 2006 for $1.65 billion. Google itself operates as a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.,…
Key Stats Airbnb operates in 220+ countries with over 8 million active listings globally Market capitalization of approximately 85 billion dollars as of 2025 Three co-founders control over 84% combined ownership through special voting shares Listed on Nasdaq Stock Exchange under ticker symbol ABNB since December 2020 Airbnb ownership remains primarily in the hands of its three co-founders who maintain substantial control through a dual-class share structure. Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia collectively own over 84% of the company through Class B shares that carry 20 votes each. Institutional investors including Vanguard, BlackRock, and Fidelity hold significant positions…
Key Stats Nextdoor went public on November 8, 2021 through a SPAC merger valued at $4.3 billion (CNBC, 2021). The platform serves 88 million verified neighbors across 330,000 neighborhoods worldwide (Nextdoor, 2024). Benchmark Capital holds the largest institutional stake at approximately 13% of outstanding shares. Current market capitalization stands at approximately $666 million with trailing twelve-month revenue of $250 million. Nextdoor Holdings Inc. operates as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KIND. The neighborhood network is owned by a diverse group of institutional investors, individual shareholders, and company insiders, with no single…
Key Stats Annual Revenue: $91.85 billion (2024) Market Capitalization: Approximately $210 billion Total Employees: 319,000 (2024) Institutional Ownership: 75.33% PepsiCo is owned by a diverse group of shareholders, with institutional investors holding the majority stake at approximately 75.33% of total shares. The Vanguard Group is the largest individual shareholder, owning around 10% of the company. Insider ownership stands at about 0.64%, while retail investors own approximately 24% of shares. As a publicly traded corporation listed on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol PEP, PepsiCo operates without a single controlling owner. The beverage and snacks giant generated nearly $92 billion in net…
Key Stats Walmart generated $681 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025, representing a 5.1 percent increase from the previous year. The retail giant operates over 10,750 stores across 19 countries, serving approximately 270 million customers weekly. Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide, making it one of the largest private-sector employers globally. The company holds a 6.04 percent share of the United States retail market and maintains strong growth in e-commerce operations. Walmart is primarily owned by the Walton family, who collectively control approximately 45 to 47 percent of the company through Walton Enterprises LLC and the Walton Family…
Key Stats IKEA generated €45.1 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2024. The company operates 483 stores across 63 countries as of 2025. IKEA’s website recorded over 4.6 billion visits in fiscal year 2024. The furniture retailer employs approximately 170,000 people worldwide. IKEA is owned by two separate foundations based in the Netherlands. The Stichting Ingka Foundation owns Ingka Group, which operates the majority of IKEA stores worldwide, while the Inter IKEA Foundation owns Inter IKEA Group, which controls the IKEA brand, intellectual property, and franchising operations. The Swedish furniture giant has revolutionized affordable home furnishing since its founding in…
Key Stats eBay serves 132 million active buyers across global markets The platform processes approximately $18 billion in merchandise sales quarterly Institutional investors control nearly 95% of eBay’s outstanding shares eBay trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol EBAY eBay ownership is distributed among institutional investors, company insiders, and retail shareholders. The Vanguard Group holds the largest stake at 11.51%, followed by BlackRock with 8.65% and State Street with 4.58%. Since going public in 1998, eBay has operated as a publicly traded company with no single owner or parent corporation controlling its operations. The e-commerce marketplace launched in 1995…
Company timelines often look neat on the surface, but the reality is rarely straightforward. A business may publicly claim it was “founded in 1998,” even though the legal entity was registered years later. Mergers and acquisitions can lead to backdated histories, and rebrands can erase original identities. When these narratives go unverified, misinformation spreads across articles, profiles, and databases. For researchers, journalists, and students, accuracy is critical. A reliable timeline builds trust, supports credibility, and helps readers understand how a company truly evolved. Verifying company history requires more than copying dates—it demands structured analysis using filings, archived websites, brand presentation,…