If you frequently use YouTube as a social media platform to publish or consume video content, perhaps you’ve wondered who owns YouTube. Since Google acquired YouTube in 2006, it has seen a significant rise in stakeholders due to its popularity as the preferred application for sharing content, connecting with others, or advertising their brands.
Google, which is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has the primary YouTube ownership, as Google acquired YouTube in October 2006 for $1.65 billion. Subsequently, Alphabet Inc., which owns YouTube, was created in 2015 for the better corporate structuring of Google, its other subsidiaries, and key tools such as Android, YouTube, and Search.
Neal Mohan, who is the current CEO of YouTube, took over the leadership duties from Susan Wojcicki on 16th February 2023, intending to foster community engagement and expand the platform’s reach to a wider audience.
Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, former PayPal employees, founded YouTube and registered its domain name in 2005.
They initially considered building a video-based dating platform, but after analyzing the potential market for a video-sharing platform with an intuitive design and user-friendly interface, they decided to pursue this approach instead.
Furthermore, one of the co-founders, Jawed Karim, posted the first YouTube Video with the title “Me at the Zoo,” which laid the foundation of the largest video-sharing platform. Subsequently, by January 2006, YouTube’s daily viewers increased from 30,000 to over 25 million views per day, as this platform was available for everyone, from businesses to individuals, to share their creative content.
Later, Google acquired YouTube in 2006, as YouTube was facing legal troubles from lawsuits due to copyright infringement liability. However, Google provided the rights to YouTube for independent operation, but later it became a part of Google’s core offerings with the introduction of several new features for creators, such as monetization options.
While you have got the answer for who is the owner of YouTube, you must be wondering about the key stakeholders in YouTube’s current ownership. Since Alphabet Inc. is the parent company of Google, it holds the primary stakeholder rights with the command to control YouTube’s features and monetization policies.
However, YouTube’s current ownership landscape is multidimensional and complex, as, apart from Alphabet Inc., individual content creators, mass media houses, and advertisers are also considered key stakeholders. Subsequently, these content creators and advertisers bring user engagement and revenues, which assist in YouTube’s seamless operations.
Furthermore, Sergey Brin and Larry Page hold 51.4% of the voting rights as they are the co-founders and have the majority of shares in the Alphabet Class B stock holdings. However, to understand who owns YouTube, you can refer to the table below of key stakeholders in YouTube ownership.
| Name | Role | Shareholder % | Shares | Board Tenure |
| Larry Page | Co-founder and Board Member | 3.5% | Over 389 million shares | From Google’s foundation in 1998 |
| Sergey Brin | Co-founder and Board Member | 3.2% | Over 362 million shares | From Google’s foundation in 1998 |
| Eric Schmidt | Former CEO of Google | 0.5% | Over 56 million shares | – |
| L. John Doerr | Board Member and Independent Director | 0.2% | Over 23 million shares | From May 1999 |
| K. Ram Shriram | Board Member and Independent Director | 0.016% | Over 1.8 million shares | From Google’s foundation in 1998 |
| Name | Shareholder % | Class A Shares | Class C Shares |
| Vanguard Group | 7.18% to 7.25% | Over 516 million Class A shares | Over 416 million Class C shares |
| BlackRock | Approximately 6.27% | Over 430 million Class A shares | Over 361 million Class C shares |
| State Street | Approximately 3.36% | Over 229 million Class A shares | Over 188 million Class C shares |
| Fidelity Management & Research LLC | Approximately 2.39% | Over 216 million Class A shares | Over 101 million Class C shares |
| Geode Capital Management | Approximately 2.09% | Over 141 million Class A shares | Over 107 million Class C shares |
While social media users often inquire about who owns YouTube, it is essential to understand YouTube’s origins and the impact of Google’s acquisition. Since Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, owns YouTube, they have the primary authority to control its features and implement strategic decisions.
Furthermore, since Google acquired YouTube from Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim in 2006, they have led YouTube to emerge as the leading video-sharing platform.
Yes, Alphabet Inc., which is the parent company of Google, has major YouTube ownership, as it acquired YouTube in November 2006 for $1.65 billion.
Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., is the real owner of YouTube now, as its co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin exercise over 50% of the voting rights to control strategic decisions.
Neal Mohan is the current CEO of YouTube, as he replaced Susan Wojcicki to commence his leadership duties on 16th February 2023.
No, YouTube is not owned by Meta or Facebook, as Google has the primary ownership and stakeholder rights of YouTube, along with the authority to control its features and monetization policies.
