Who Owns YouTube?

Key Stats

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., the holding company formed in 2015. With 2.7 billion monthly active users and generating over $36 billion in annual advertising revenue, YouTube represents one of the most valuable acquisitions in technology history.

In September 2025, Alphabet became the fourth company to reach a $3 trillion market capitalization. YouTube continues expanding its influence through features like YouTube Shorts, which generates 70 billion daily views, and YouTube Premium, which has attracted 125 million subscribers worldwide. The platform operates from headquarters in San Bruno, California, while maintaining its integration within Google’s broader product ecosystem.

Who Owns YouTube?

Google Ownership Structure

Google owns YouTube as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The acquisition closed in November 2006, marking one of the most successful technology purchases in internet history. At the time, many questioned whether Google overpaid for a platform that was not yet profitable.

Alphabet Inc. Parent Company

Alphabet Inc. serves as the ultimate parent company of both Google and YouTube. When Google restructured in October 2015, it created Alphabet to separate its core internet services from experimental ventures. This reorganization allowed Google to focus on its primary revenue streams while giving YouTube access to vast resources for innovation and expansion.

YouTube operates under Google Services, one of three main segments within Alphabet. The other segments include Google Cloud and Other Bets, which houses experimental projects like Waymo self-driving cars and Verily life sciences. YouTube benefits from Google’s advertising technology, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence capabilities.

Largest Shareholders of YouTube

Founder Control Through Super-Voting Shares

Larry Page and Sergey Brin control YouTube through their ownership of Alphabet. The co-founders maintain 51.7% of voting rights despite holding only approximately 6% of total equity. This control stems from their Class B super-voting shares, which carry 10 votes per share compared to one vote for publicly traded Class A shares.

Page owns roughly 389 million shares of Alphabet, representing approximately 3.1% of total shares. Brin holds approximately 362 million shares, or about 2.9% of the company. Their combined super-voting shares give them majority control over all strategic decisions affecting YouTube and other Alphabet subsidiaries.

Major Institutional Investors

Vanguard Group stands as the largest institutional shareholder, owning 516 million Class A shares and 416 million Class C shares, representing approximately 7.3% of Alphabet’s publicly traded stock. BlackRock holds the second-largest position with 430 million Class A shares and 361 million Class C shares, totaling roughly 6.6% ownership.

State Street owns 229 million Class A shares and 188 million Class C shares, while Fidelity Management holds 216 million Class A shares and 101 million Class C shares. These institutional investors primarily manage index funds that track major market benchmarks like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100, where Alphabet maintains significant weighting.

Individual Shareholders and Executives

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, owns approximately 56.8 million shares. Schmidt served as CEO from 2001 to 2011 and later as executive chairman until 2017. Sundar Pichai, current CEO of both Alphabet and Google, owns approximately 0.029% of the company’s shares worth over $695 million.

John Doerr, venture capitalist and early Google investor through Kleiner Perkins, maintains a 1.5% ownership stake. His firm provided crucial early funding that helped Google grow from a startup into a technology giant capable of acquiring YouTube.

History of YouTube Co-founders

The PayPal Connection

Three former PayPal employees founded YouTube in February 2005. Chad Hurley served as PayPal’s first user interface designer. Steve Chen worked as a PayPal engineer. Jawed Karim, also a PayPal engineer, helped develop many of the company’s core features.

From Failed Dating Site to Video Platform

The founders initially envisioned a video-based dating platform called Tune In, Hook Up. When this concept failed to attract users, they pivoted after struggling to find video footage online of a controversial Super Bowl halftime performance featuring Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. This frustration revealed a market need for simple video sharing.

Jawed Karim uploaded the first YouTube video, Me at the Zoo, on April 23, 2005. The 18-second clip filmed at the San Diego Zoo marked the beginning of what would become the world’s largest video platform. By December 2005, YouTube officially launched to the public after months of beta testing.

Rapid Growth and Acquisition

YouTube’s explosive growth attracted Google’s attention. By October 2006, the platform was handling millions of video uploads and billions of views. Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock, with Hurley and Chen each receiving approximately $300 million and Karim earning around $66 million. The acquisition provided YouTube with resources to scale its infrastructure and expand globally, transforming it into the dominant video platform with presence across 100 countries and support for 80 languages.

Who Is on the Board of Directors for YouTube?

Leadership Structure

Alphabet’s board of directors oversees YouTube through its ownership of Google. Nine directors serve on the board as of 2025, providing strategic guidance across Alphabet’s entire portfolio. YouTube’s direct management reports to Google’s executive team, which in turn answers to the Alphabet board.

Technology and Academic Leadership

John L. Hennessy chairs Alphabet’s board of directors. Hennessy previously served as president of Stanford University and pioneered computer architecture innovations that power modern processors. His technical expertise guides board discussions on artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and infrastructure investments that benefit YouTube’s operations.

Frances H. Arnold serves as a board member with expertise in chemical engineering and biochemistry. As a Nobel Prize laureate, Arnold brings scientific rigor to discussions about algorithmic innovation and content recommendation systems that drive YouTube’s user engagement.

Financial and Business Expertise

Roger W. Ferguson Jr. contributes extensive financial sector experience from his tenure as Federal Reserve vice chairman and TIAA CEO. Ferguson chairs the audit committee, overseeing financial reporting for YouTube’s revenue, which exceeded $50 billion across advertising and subscriptions in the past four quarters.

R. Martin Chávez brings quantitative finance and technology expertise from his career at Goldman Sachs, where he led technology and engineering divisions. His background helps the board evaluate YouTube’s business model, advertising technology, and competitive positioning against emerging platforms.

Venture Capital and Investment Perspective

L. John Doerr represents venture capital experience through his role at Kleiner Perkins, which provided early funding to Google. Doerr’s presence connects Alphabet to emerging technology trends and startup ecosystems that could impact YouTube’s competitive landscape. His experience with companies like Amazon.com and other technology leaders informs strategic discussions.

Founder and Executive Representation

Larry Page and Sergey Brin maintain board seats despite stepping back from day-to-day operations in December 2019. Their presence ensures continuity with the strategic vision that led to YouTube’s acquisition. Sundar Pichai, serving as CEO of both Alphabet and Google, provides direct operational oversight and reports on YouTube’s performance, including Shorts’ 70 billion daily views and Premium’s subscriber growth.

Robin L. Washington brings operational expertise from her experience as CFO of Gilead Sciences. K. Ram Shriram, an early Google investor who has served on the board since 1998, provides historical perspective on company evolution. The board’s diverse expertise across technology, finance, academia, and operations guides decisions affecting YouTube’s future development and integration with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

FAQs

Who currently owns YouTube?

Google owns YouTube as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Google itself is owned by Alphabet Inc., making Alphabet the ultimate parent company of YouTube since the 2015 corporate restructuring.

How much did Google pay for YouTube?

Google acquired YouTube in October 2006 for $1.65 billion in stock. The acquisition is now considered one of the most valuable technology purchases in history.

Who controls the majority of YouTube ownership?

Larry Page and Sergey Brin control YouTube through 51.7% voting rights in Alphabet via Class B super-voting shares, despite holding only 6% equity. Their control determines all strategic decisions.

What is YouTube worth today?

YouTube generated over $50 billion in combined advertising and subscription revenue in the past four quarters. Analysts estimate YouTube’s standalone value exceeds $400 billion as of 2025.

Is YouTube publicly traded?

YouTube itself is not publicly traded. Investors can gain exposure to YouTube by purchasing Alphabet stock, which trades on Nasdaq under tickers GOOGL and GOOG for voting and non-voting shares respectively.