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Meta

Social media and technology company behind Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

Social mediaDigital advertisingMessagingVirtual realityAI

IPOSource [1]Last verified Oct 2, 2026

About Meta

Meta Platforms, Inc. builds social and messaging apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads and WhatsApp, along with the Meta AI assistant, Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and AI glasses. It reports two segments: Family of Apps and Reality Labs.Source [1]

Mark Zuckerberg started the service as thefacebook.com at Harvard in February 2004 and incorporated the company in Delaware that July. It went public in May 2012, bought Instagram in 2012 and Oculus VR and WhatsApp in 2014, and adopted the Meta brand in October 2021.Source [2]Source [5]Source [6]Source [7]Source [8]

Substantially all of its revenue comes from selling ad placements across its apps. In 2025 it reported $200.97 billion in revenue and $83.28 billion in operating income, with 3.58 billion daily active people across its apps in December 2025 and 78,865 employees at year end.Source [1]

Zuckerberg remains founder, chairman and CEO and its controlling shareholder. The company's stated mission is to build the future of human connection, and it describes its AI goal as delivering personal superintelligence for everyone.Source [4]Source [1]

What happened

Mark Zuckerberg launched thefacebook.com at Harvard on February 4, 2004, and the company was incorporated in Delaware in July 2004. It went public in May 2012 and completed its acquisition of Oculus VR in July 2014 under a March 2014 agreement valued at about $2 billion. On October 28, 2021 it introduced Meta as its new company brand, and it trades on Nasdaq as META.Source [2]Source [3]Source [1]Source [9]Source [10]Source [11]Source [8]

Timeline

  1. 2026Named Dina Powell McCormick President and Vice Chairman.Source [4]
  2. 2025Closed a $13.8 billion minority investment in Scale AI.Source [1]
  3. 2021-10-28Introduced Meta as its company brand.Source [8]
  4. 2014-10Completed its acquisition of WhatsApp.Source [7]
  5. 2014-07Completed its acquisition of Oculus VR.Source [11]Source [7]
  6. 2012-08Completed its acquisition of Instagram.Source [6]
  7. 2012-05Went public at $38 per share.Source [5]
  8. 2012-01Mark Zuckerberg became Chairman of the board.Source [5]
  9. 2008-03Sheryl Sandberg joined as Chief Operating Officer.Source [5]
  10. 2005-11Zuckerberg left Harvard to run the company, then based in Palo Alto.Source [12]
  11. 2004-07Incorporated in Delaware.Source [5]
  12. 2004-02-04thefacebook.com launched at Harvard.Source [2]

Products and brands

  • Facebook: Social network with Feed, Reels, Stories, Groups and Marketplace.Source [1]
  • Instagram: Photo and video sharing app with Feed, Stories, Reels and messaging.Source [1]
  • WhatsApp: Messaging app for people and businesses.Source [1]
  • Messenger: Cross-platform messaging app.Source [1]
  • Threads: App for text-based updates and public conversations.Source [1]
  • Meta AI: AI assistant available in its apps, as a stand-alone app, on AI glasses and on the web.Source [1]
  • Meta Quest and AI glasses: Virtual reality headsets and AI-enabled glasses from Reality Labs.Source [1]

How it makes money: Meta generates substantially all of its revenue by selling advertising placements on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, WhatsApp and third-party apps; Reality Labs sells hardware and software.Source [1]

Leadership

Mark ZuckerbergFounder, Chairman and CEOSource [4]Since 2004
Dina Powell McCormickPresident and Vice ChairmanSource [4]Since 2026
Javier OlivanChief Operating OfficerSource [4]Since 2022
Susan LiChief Financial OfficerSource [4]Since 2022
Andrew BosworthChief Technology OfficerSource [4]Since 2022

Funding and financials

Revenue
$200.97 billion (fiscal 2025)Source [1]
Operating income
$83.28 billion (fiscal 2025)Source [1]
Daily active people
3.58 billion (December 2025 average)Source [1]

Notable acquisitions

WhatsAppSource [7]2014$17.2 billion purchase consideration (about 178 million shares plus $4.59 billion cash)
Oculus VRSource [9]Source [10]Source [11]2014About $2 billion
InstagramSource [6]2012$521 million purchase price ($300 million cash plus stock)

People on Founded, and where they went next

2 people on record, connected to 7 other companies.

PersonHereAlso built
Mark ZuckerbergFounder, CEO, Chairman of the Board2004 to nowChan Zuckerberg Initiative2015 to nowActive
Peter ThielBoard member2005 to 2022Mithril Capital Management2012ActiveFounders Fund2005 to nowActivePalantir Technologies2003 to nowIPOClarium Capital Management2002Status unknownPayPal2000 to 2002IPOConfinity1998 to 2000Merged

Sources

  1. Meta Platforms, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025, Meta Platforms, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2026-01-29. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  2. Hundreds Register for New Facebook Website, The Harvard Crimson, 2004-02-09. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  3. Mark E. Zuckerberg '06: The whiz behind thefacebook.com, The Harvard Crimson, 2004-06-10. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  4. Meta Platforms, Inc. 2026 Proxy Statement (DEF 14A), Meta Platforms, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2026-04-16. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  5. Facebook, Inc. initial public offering prospectus (Form 424B4), Facebook, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2012-05-18. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  6. Facebook, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2012, Facebook, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2013-02-01. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  7. Facebook, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2014, Facebook, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2015-01-29. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  8. Introducing Meta: A Social Technology Company, Meta, 2021-10-28. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  9. Facebook to Acquire Oculus, Meta, 2014-03-25. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  10. Facebook, Inc. Form 8-K (merger agreement with Oculus VR, Inc.), Facebook, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2014-03-26. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  11. Facebook, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2014, Facebook, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2014-10-30. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  12. Zuckerberg To Leave Harvard Indefinitely, The Harvard Crimson, 2005-11-01. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.

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