Undoubtedly, Meta Inc., formerly called Facebook, is a titan in the social media industry with an ever-growing user base. Owning Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other prominent platforms, the corporation has reached over 3.07 billion monthly active users by the end of 2023. It was originally founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, along with his Harvard University mates and since then, the company's worth has skyrocketed to a whopping $1.33 trillion as of April 13, 2024.
Trading under the ticker META, the firm not only stands as an influential digital networking space but also delves into virtual reality technologies via its Reality Labs unit. Behind its immense success are its top shareholders, which include Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl K. Sandberg, Christopher K. Cox, Vanguard Inc., BlackRock Inc., and FMR LLC/Fidelity.
Zuckerberg, Meta’s principal shareholder, and the company’s CEO, maintains his majority clout through approximately 958,000 Class A and a massive 346.05 million Class B shares, lending him over 61% of voting power. As of 2024, Forbes lists his net worth to be approximately $179.8 billion.
Former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who resigned in 2024, continues to be a notable shareholder, holding 1.37 million Class A shares. Christopher K. Cox, the Chief Product Officer, holds 379,336 Class A shares, marking him as the third-largest individual shareholder.
While the aforementioned individuals largely impact Meta’s operations, it’s also worth mentioning that about 79.65% of Meta’s total shares are held by institutional investors. Among these, Vanguard Inc. leads, holding roughly 186.3 million shares, followed by BlackRock Inc. with about 157.5 million shares, and FMR LLC, Fidelity Investments' parent company, retaining around 134 million shares.
Clearly, Meta Inc. structures a complicated but remarkable ecosystem of owners and shareholders. From its inception, it has thrived exceptionally, shaping digital platforms and contributing significantly to the modern world's online landscape.