Key Takeaways
- Google is owned by Alphabet Inc., which became its parent company after a corporate restructuring in 2015.
- The ten-to-one voting power of Alphabet’s Class B shares, held by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, gives them considerable control over the company.
- Institutional investors own about 40% of Alphabet’s publicly traded shares, with billions of dollars in stock transactions occurring yearly.
- Alphabet’s business extends beyond Google, including subsidiaries like YouTube, Google Cloud, Waymo (self-driving cars), Verily (health research), and DeepMind (AI research).
Few names in technology spark as much curiosity and debate as Google. Known for its search engine, which processes more than 90% of online search queries, Google has grown into an influential digital icon. It is one of the companies featured among the so-called Magnificent 7 tech stocks, and its impact stretches far beyond the simple act of searching.
When you enter a query into Google, you engage with an intricate system that guides your online experience. But if Google is the invisible hand behind our online interactions, which entities are behind that edifice, influencing Google?
In this article, we’ll peel back the layers of corporate structure and history to answer the question: Who actually owns Google?
Who Owns Google?
Alphabet Inc., a company known for its innovation and technological advancements, owns Google. The transformation from a search engine startup to a multifaceted technology giant began in 1998, when Larry Page and Sergey Brin launched Google as a research project at Stanford University. Their innovative approach to ranking websites based on their relevance changed how people accessed information.
Google restructured its business in 2015, creating Alphabet Inc. as a holding company for its subsidiaries. The new structure highlighted the distinct focus of each venture, from self-driving cars to health science research. Clearer financial reporting became possible, and the search engine and advertising operations remained independent from experimental projects.
Understanding who owns Google now means understanding Alphabet’s structure. Even though the name Google remains the face of everyday search and advertising services, the real control lies with Alphabet.
Who Owns Alphabet Inc.?
Alphabet Inc. is a publicly traded company – its shares are available on the open market. However, not all shares are created equal. Alphabet issues multiple types of shares, each conferring different voting powers on its holders. These are:
- Class A Shares: These shares, traded under the ticker GOOGL, provide one vote per share.
- Class B Shares: These shares are not available to the public and carry ten votes per share, giving their holders much greater influence over company decisions.
- Class C Shares: Traded under the GOOG ticker, these shares have no voting rights.
The three-tier structure supports long-term stability in decision-making. While anyone can buy Class A or C shares on public exchanges, control over the company remains concentrated within a select group. Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin hold most Class B shares. Their voting power keeps major decisions with those who built the company.
Despite the dispersed ownership among many investors, the concentrated voting power ensures that the founders’ vision continues to steer the company’s future.
The Story of Sergey Brin & Larry Page
Larry Page and Sergey Brin first crossed paths as ambitious computer science students at Stanford University. Their shared interest in information retrieval and data analysis led to the creation of a search algorithm that would influence information access. In the early days, their project was more than just lines of code; it was a vision of organizing the vast chaos of the internet into an accessible and useful resource.
From a modest dorm room project to an enterprise with global influence, their journey is as inspiring as instructive. Even after stepping back from day-to-day operations, both have maintained a guiding influence through their significant shareholdings and voting rights.
Alphabet Institutional Shareholders
Alphabet’s financial situation is complex, mirroring its organizational complexity. Institutional investors hold a substantial portion of the company’s shares. Here are key statistics:
- Current Institutional Ownership: 40.03%
- Number of Institutional Buyers: 3,451
- Total Institutional Inflows: $84.56 billion
- Number of Institutional Sellers: 2,605
- Total Institutional Outflows: $50.10 billion
These figures highlight the active interest and major investment from institutional entities, reflecting confidence in Alphabet’s financial performance and strategic direction.
What Other Companies Does Alphabet Own?
Alphabet’s portfolio extends beyond Google. Over the years, the holding company has acquired and developed a range of subsidiaries that explore different facets of technology and innovation. Some notable members of the Alphabet family include:
- YouTube: The video-sharing platform that has become a cultural phenomenon and a major source of entertainment and information.
- Google Cloud: A suite of cloud computing services that supports businesses of all sizes with data storage, analytics, and machine learning capabilities.
- Waymo: An ambitious project in self-driving car technology, pushing the boundaries of automotive safety and automation.
- Verily: A research organization focused on life sciences and healthcare, working to bring data-driven solutions to medical challenges.
- DeepMind: An artificial intelligence company dedicated to solving complex problems through advanced machine learning techniques.
Each subsidiary operates in its niche, contributing to Alphabet’s overall mission. The breadth of these ventures offers a glimpse into how the company seeks to remain at the forefront of technology while experimenting with new ideas and approaches.
Who Is the CEO of Alphabet?
When discussing Alphabet’s leadership, one name often comes up: Sundar Pichai. As the CEO of Google and Alphabet, Pichai has been at the helm during Google’s transformation. Joining Google in 2004, he rose with a reputation for calm, calculated decision-making and a knack for managing complex operations. His appointment as CEO was pivotal, reinforcing the importance of strong leadership in maintaining the company’s vision while overseeing its myriad initiatives.
Pichai’s tenure has been characterized by steady growth and a focus on integrating innovative technologies across all of Alphabet’s services. His role is central to discussions on who controls Google and who ultimately shapes its future strategies, making him a key figure for investors, users, and industry watchers.
Why Did Google Become Alphabet?
In 2015, Google underwent a major reorganization, leading to the creation of Alphabet Inc. This shift was a cosmetic change and a strategic decision to clarify the company’s diverse operations. The idea was to separate the core search and advertising business from other experimental ventures. By creating a holding company, the leaders could offer investors a clearer picture of the performance of each business unit, from the well-established Google search engine to its other projects like Waymo and Verily.
This restructuring also allowed each subsidiary to operate independently while benefiting from the parent company’s shared resources and strategic guidance. It was designed to bring more transparency and focus to a rapidly growing conglomerate.
Closing Thoughts
Control over information is control over perception. Google influences what billions see, read, and learn daily, but decision-making power remains concentrated in a few hands. Public ownership creates an illusion of decentralization, yet voting structures tell a different story. Who truly decides how knowledge is filtered and presented? That question grows more relevant as technology advances and information access shapes societies. Understanding who owns Google isn’t just about shares—it’s about influence, responsibility, and the future of how truth is defined by this incredibly powerful company.
