Who Owns Amazon Web Services?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is owned by Amazon.com Inc., a publicly traded American multinational technology company. AWS was launched by Amazon in 2006 and operates as a subsidiary. Amazon is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AMZN, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Parent Company
Amazon.com Inc.
Founded
2006
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington, USA
Who Owns Amazon Web Services?
- Parent Company: Amazon.com Inc.
- Ownership Type: Subsidiary
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NASDAQ: AMZN
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services | Amazon.com Inc. | Subsidiary |
History of Amazon Web Services
- Founded: 2006
- Founders: Amazon (internal development)
The genesis of AWS came in the early 2000s as Amazon pursued service-oriented architecture to scale its engineering operations. After building Merchant.com, Amazon's e-commerce-as-a-service platform, the company sought to create shared infrastructure services that could be exposed to external developers. This internal innovation demonstrated Amazon's ability to solve its own scaling challenges while identifying commercial opportunities in providing infrastructure services to other businesses facing similar technical challenges.
In July 2002, Amazon launched its first web services, opening up the Amazon.com platform to developers. By 2004, over one hundred applications were built on these early services. Andy Jassy took over the AWS portfolio in 2003 and mapped out the vision for an "Internet OS" made up of foundational infrastructure primitives. This strategic vision for providing basic infrastructure services as building blocks demonstrated exceptional foresight in anticipating the future of cloud computing and the growing need for scalable, on-demand computing resources.
AWS officially launched its first major services, Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) and Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud), in 2006. These services allowed businesses to rent computing power and storage on demand, revolutionizing the IT industry. AWS expanded rapidly, adding database services, content delivery, and enterprise solutions. This launch represented a fundamental shift in how businesses could access and pay for computing resources, eliminating the need for massive upfront capital investments in IT infrastructure while providing unprecedented flexibility and scalability.
By 2010, AWS had become a significant growth driver for Amazon. The platform continued expanding with machine learning services, Internet of Things tools, and enterprise applications. As of 2025, AWS comprises over 200 products and services and maintains approximately 31% market share in the cloud infrastructure market. This remarkable growth and market dominance demonstrate AWS's ability to continuously innovate and expand its service offerings while maintaining technical excellence and reliability that have made it the preferred cloud platform for businesses of all sizes worldwide.
About Amazon.com Inc.
What does Amazon own?
Amazon owns a large portfolio of brands and businesses including Amazon Marketplace, AWS, Prime Video, Kindle, Alexa, Echo, Whole Foods Market, Ring, Twitch, Audible, Amazon Music, MGM, IMDb, One Medical, Amazon Pharmacy, Zappos, Wondery, and Eero, among others. See the full brand index for a complete list.
Is Amazon publicly traded?
Yes. Amazon trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AMZN. The company has been publicly traded since its IPO in May 1997.
Who founded Amazon?
Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994, in Bellevue, Washington. Bezos served as CEO until July 2021, when Andy Jassy succeeded him. Bezos remains executive chairman and the largest individual shareholder.
Where is Amazon headquartered?
Amazon is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company also has a significant presence in the Washington, D.C. area through its HQ2 campus in Arlington, Virginia, which opened in 2023.
Who owns Amazon?
Amazon has no controlling shareholder. Jeff Bezos is the largest individual shareholder and serves as executive chairman. Institutional investors including Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street are among the largest economic shareholders through index fund holdings.
What is Amazon's revenue?
For full-year 2025, Amazon reported net sales of $716.9 billion, up 12% year over year, with operating income of $80.0 billion and net income of $77.7 billion. AWS full-year 2025 revenue was $128.7 billion, up 20% year over year.
What is AWS?
Amazon Web Services is Amazon's cloud computing division, providing infrastructure, platform, and AI services to businesses, governments, and organizations globally. AWS is the world's largest cloud infrastructure provider. Full-year 2025 AWS revenue was $128.7 billion with operating income of $45.6 billion.
What antitrust cases is Amazon facing?
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon in September 2023, alleging that Amazon illegally maintains monopoly power over online retail and third-party marketplace services. The case was ongoing as of February 2026. Amazon also reached a settlement with the EU in 2022 over allegations related to its use of third-party seller data.
- Founded: 1994
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NASDAQ: AMZN
Where Is Amazon Web Services Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
- Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Global (data centers worldwide)
Brands Owned by Amazon.com Inc.
- Alexa - Amazon's artificial intelligence voice assistant technology powering smart speak...
- Amazon Advertising - Amazon's advertising platform providing sponsored product ads, display advertisi...
- Amazon Basics - Amazon's private label brand offering affordable, everyday essentials across mul...
- Amazon Fresh - Amazon's grocery delivery service offering fresh groceries, pantry items, and pr...
- Amazon Music - American music streaming service developed and operated by Amazon.com Inc....
- Amazon Pharmacy - Amazon's online pharmacy service offering prescription medications, over-the-cou...
- Amazon Studios - Amazon's film and television production company creating original content for Pr...
- Audible - Audiobook and podcast streaming service offering exclusive content, original pro...
- Echo - Amazon's smart speaker brand offering voice-activated devices with Alexa integra...
- Eero - Amazon-owned mesh WiFi networking company providing whole-home WiFi coverage and...
- Freevee - Amazon's ad-supported streaming service offering movies and television shows wit...
- IMDb - Online database of movies, television shows, and entertainment content featuring...
- Amazon Kindle - E-reader devices and digital reading platform developed by Amazon, featuring E I...
- MGM - American film and television production company known for iconic film franchises...
- Prime Video - Subscription-based video streaming service offering movies, TV shows, and origin...
- Ring - Amazon-owned smart home security brand offering video doorbells, security camera...
- Twitch - Live streaming platform focused on video game broadcasting, esports, and creativ...
- Whole Foods Market - American supermarket chain specializing in organic, natural, and specialty foods...
- Wondery - Amazon-owned podcast production and distribution company creating premium audio ...
- Zappos - Amazon-owned online fashion and footwear retailer known for exceptional customer...
Amazon Web Services Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Market-leading cloud platform with 31% global market share
- +Extensive service portfolio with over 200 products and services
- +Strong reliability and security backed by Amazon's infrastructure investment
- +Global presence with data centers in multiple geographic regions
- +Continuous innovation in emerging technologies like AI and machine learning
- +Pay-as-you-go pricing model providing cost efficiency for businesses
Considerations
- -Complex pricing structure that can be difficult to optimize without expertise
- -Vendor lock-in concerns due to proprietary services and APIs
- -Significant environmental impact from massive data center operations
- -Dominant market position creating potential antitrust scrutiny
- -Rapid service evolution requiring continuous learning and adaptation
- -Dependency on Amazon's corporate priorities and service decisions
Frequently Asked Questions About Amazon Web Services
Competitors to Amazon Web Services
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | USA | 2011 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Alphabet | USA | 2009 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Openai | USA | 2022 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Anthropic | USA | 2022 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Sony Group | Japan | 1946 | Mass Market | Asia Pacific | Male | |
| Spotify Technology | Sweden | 2006 | Mass Market | Global | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Siri
Owned by Apple Inc.
Apple's voice assistant and AI-powered intelligent assistant providing voice commands and smart device control across Apple products.
Waymo
Owned by Alphabet Inc.
American autonomous driving technology company developing self-driving car technology, subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.
ChatGPT
Owned by OpenAI
Artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) language model series.
Claude
Owned by Anthropic
Family of artificial intelligence language models developed by Anthropic, known for helpfulness, safety features, and reduced likelihood of generating harmful content.
Sony
Owned by Sony Group Corporation
Japanese multinational conglomerate brand specializing in electronics, entertainment, gaming, and financial services, flagship brand of Sony Group Corporation.
Spotify
Owned by Spotify Technology S.A.
Swedish audio streaming and media services provider offering music, podcasts, and other content to millions of users worldwide.
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: Amazon Web Services competes with 6 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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