Who Owns Rolls-Royce?

Rolls-Royce is a name that spans two separate businesses today. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a publicly traded British aerospace and defence company listed on the London Stock Exchange. It has no single majority owner — shares are distributed among institutional and retail investors worldwide. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the luxury automobile brand, is a different entity entirely and has been a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW Group since 2003.

On the aerospace side, CEO Tufan Erginbilgic has overseen a sharp financial turnaround since taking the role in January 2023. The share price rose from roughly £1 to over £11 between 2022 and mid-2025. Large engine flying hours reached 109% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels by October 2025, and the company completed a £1 billion share buyback during the year.

Who Owns Rolls-Royce?

The answer depends on which Rolls-Royce you mean. The Rolls-Royce motor car brand is owned outright by BMW AG. BMW secured the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and logo for automobiles in 1998 and began producing vehicles under the marque at its Goodwood factory in West Sussex from 2003 onwards.

Rolls-Royce Holdings plc — The Aerospace Company

Rolls-Royce Holdings plc, the aerospace and defence business, is a publicly listed company with no controlling shareholder. Its shares trade on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker RR. Ownership is spread across hundreds of institutional investors, pension funds, index trackers, and individual shareholders.

The two companies share a name and origin story but operate entirely independently. This split traces back to 1971, when the original Rolls-Royce went bankrupt and was nationalised by the UK government. The car-making arm was separated as Rolls-Royce Motors, eventually passing through Vickers to Volkswagen Group (which kept Bentley) and then to BMW for the Rolls-Royce name rights.

Largest Shareholders of Rolls-Royce Holdings

Because Rolls-Royce Holdings is publicly traded, its ownership changes as shares are bought and sold. No single investor holds a majority stake. As of late 2025, the three largest disclosed institutional holders are Capital Group Companies, BlackRock, and The Vanguard Group.

Capital Group Companies

Capital Group is the largest known institutional shareholder, holding approximately 5.07% of Rolls-Royce Holdings shares. Based in Los Angeles, Capital Group manages over $2.8 trillion in assets. Its EuroPacific Growth Fund and New Perspective Fund both appear among the top individual fund holders.

BlackRock

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with over $12.5 trillion in assets under management, holds roughly 5.01%. Much of this position sits within passive index-tracking funds like the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, which automatically hold Rolls-Royce shares as part of broad market indices.

The Vanguard Group

Vanguard holds about 2.89%, largely through index funds like the Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund. Vanguard manages around $12 trillion globally and is the world’s second-largest asset manager.

Other Institutional Holders

Beyond the top three, significant positions are held by Massachusetts Financial Services Co. (MFS), Fidelity Management & Research, and Goldman Sachs’ GQG Partners fund. In total, Rolls-Royce has over 370 institutional owners who have filed regulatory disclosures. The company’s growing valuation has attracted increased interest, particularly from funds focused on defence and aerospace sectors tracking companies such as BAE Systems.

Who Is on the Board of Directors for Rolls-Royce Holdings?

The Rolls-Royce Holdings board includes executive and non-executive directors who oversee strategy, governance, and financial reporting. Board governance was most recently updated in December 2025.

Chair — Dame Anita Frew

Dame Anita Frew has chaired the board since October 2021. She previously served as chair of Croda International and held director roles at BHP Group, Lloyds Banking Group, and Victrex. Her earlier career included corporate development work at WPP plc.

Chief Executive Officer — Tufan Erginbilgic

Erginbilgic took over as CEO in January 2023 after more than 20 years at BP, where he rose to CEO of the downstream business. He also held non-executive directorships at GKN, DCC plc, and Turkish refiner Tupras. His annual compensation is approximately £4.11 million.

Non-Executive Directors — Governance and Oversight

Lord Jitesh Gadhia serves as Senior Independent Director. He brings experience from nearly 25 years in banking and private equity, and also sits on the Court of Directors of the Bank of England. Beverly Goulet, a former executive vice president at American Airlines, provides aviation industry expertise and sits on several board committees. Sir Kevin Smith, another non-executive, contributes experience from his background in aerospace and manufacturing.

Non-Executive Directors — Industry and International

Lee Hsien Yang, former CEO of Singapore Telecommunications, adds international perspective. Dame Angela Sherbon, who spent decades at BP as chief scientist, brings R&D governance experience. Pamela Coles has served as Chief Governance Officer since 2014.

History of Rolls-Royce and Its Co-founders

The story of Rolls-Royce begins in 1904. Henry Royce, an electrical and mechanical engineer running a small business in Manchester, built his first car — a two-cylinder Royce 10 — that year. Charles Rolls, a wealthy car dealer operating C.S. Rolls & Co. in London, met Royce at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on 4 May 1904.

Henry Royce

Royce was self-taught and obsessive about quality. He started his career in electrical engineering before turning to automobile design. His insistence on precision and testing shaped the company’s DNA from the start.

Charles Rolls

Rolls came from an aristocratic family — the son of Lord and Lady Llangattock — and was educated at Eton. He was an early motoring and aviation enthusiast. Tragically, he died in a flying accident in 1910 at age 32, becoming the first Briton killed in a powered aircraft crash.

Forming the Company

The two agreed that Royce would build the cars and Rolls would sell them. Rolls-Royce Limited was formally registered on 15 March 1906, with a factory in Derby. Claude Johnson, sometimes called “the hyphen in Rolls-Royce,” handled the business side and pushed the company toward producing a single model — the 40/50 hp, later known as the Silver Ghost. That decision cemented the brand’s reputation for reliability.

FAQs

Is Rolls-Royce owned by BMW?

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the luxury car brand, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG since 2003. The separate aerospace company, Rolls-Royce Holdings plc, is publicly traded and not owned by BMW.

Is Rolls-Royce Holdings a publicly traded company?

Yes. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker RR and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

Who is the CEO of Rolls-Royce Holdings?

Tufan Erginbilgic has been CEO of Rolls-Royce Holdings since January 2023. He previously spent over 20 years at BP in senior leadership roles.

What is the relationship between Rolls-Royce and Bentley?

Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley in 1931. After a 1998 ownership dispute, BMW took the Rolls-Royce car brand while Volkswagen retained Bentley and the Crewe factory.

What does Rolls-Royce Holdings actually make?

Rolls-Royce Holdings designs and manufactures aircraft engines, power systems, and defence technology. Its three divisions are Civil Aerospace, Defence, and Power Systems.