Microsoft Corporation

What does Microsoft own?
Microsoft owns a diverse portfolio of technology brands including Microsoft Azure cloud platform, Microsoft 365 productivity software, Windows operating system, Xbox gaming consoles, LinkedIn professional network, GitHub developer platform, and following the $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition, gaming brands including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. The company operates across cloud computing, productivity software, gaming, and AI.

Is Microsoft publicly traded?
Yes, Microsoft Corporation is publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol MSFT. The company has been publicly traded since its IPO in March 1986 and is consistently one of the world's most valuable companies by market capitalization.

Who founded Microsoft?
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company relocated to Washington state in 1979 and went public in 1986, making both founders billionaires. Gates has significantly reduced his ownership stake over decades through philanthropy.

Where is Microsoft headquartered?
Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, where the company has maintained its primary corporate campus since 1986. The Redmond location houses executive leadership, major research facilities, and key business units supporting Microsoft's worldwide operations.

How many brands does Microsoft own?
Microsoft owns approximately 15 major brands across its business segments, including Microsoft 365, Azure, Windows, Xbox, LinkedIn, GitHub, Microsoft Teams, Copilot, Dynamics 365, Surface, Minecraft, and Activision Blizzard gaming franchises. These brands serve enterprise, consumer, and developer markets globally.

Who owns Microsoft?
Microsoft is publicly owned with no controlling shareholder. Ownership is distributed among institutional investors like Vanguard Group and BlackRock, mutual funds, and individual shareholders worldwide. CEO Satya Nadella holds a meaningful ownership stake through equity compensation.

What is Microsoft's revenue?
Microsoft reported annual revenue of approximately $261 billion for fiscal year 2025 (year ended June 2025). In Q2 FY2026, the company reported revenue of $69.6 billion, up 12% year-over-year, with Azure growing 38% and cloud revenue reaching $40.9 billion.

What is the Microsoft antitrust investigation?
Microsoft is under investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in what regulators describe as the broadest antitrust probe since the 1990s. The investigation focuses on Microsoft's cloud computing practices, software licensing models, and alleged bundling of Teams with Office 365 products, reflecting concerns about market dominance in cloud computing and productivity software.

Microsoft was founded on April 4, 1975, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, initially focused on developing programming languages for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. The company relocated to Bellevue, Washington in 1979 and then to Redmond in 1986, where it has maintained its headquarters ever since.

The company's pivotal moment came in 1980 when IBM selected Microsoft to provide the operating system for its new personal computer. Microsoft acquired QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System) and adapted it into MS-DOS, which became the standard operating system for IBM-compatible PCs. This deal established Microsoft as the dominant force in PC software and set the foundation for decades of growth.

Microsoft went public on March 13, 1986, at $21 per share, making both Gates and Allen billionaires. The company launched Windows 1.0 in 1985 and continued developing the Windows operating system through the 1990s, with Windows 95 becoming a cultural phenomenon and establishing the graphical user interface as the standard for personal computing.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Microsoft expanded aggressively into productivity software with Microsoft Office, internet services with Internet Explorer and MSN, gaming with Xbox, and enterprise software. The company faced significant antitrust scrutiny from the US Department of Justice and European regulators regarding its bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows, resulting in a landmark antitrust case that shaped the technology industry's regulatory landscape.

Satya Nadella became CEO in February 2014, succeeding Steve Ballmer and initiating a transformative shift in Microsoft's strategy toward cloud computing, open-source software, and artificial intelligence. Under Nadella's leadership, Microsoft launched Azure as a major cloud platform, acquired LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion, acquired GitHub in 2018 for $7.5 billion, and made a landmark $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023, significantly expanding its gaming portfolio.

Microsoft's strategic investment in OpenAI, beginning in 2019 and expanding significantly in 2023 with a reported $10 billion commitment, positioned the company at the forefront of the artificial intelligence revolution. The integration of OpenAI's technology into Microsoft's products through Copilot has become a central pillar of the company's growth strategy.

Microsoft has established comprehensive sustainability initiatives focused on carbon reduction, water conservation, waste reduction, and ethical AI development. The company has been carbon neutral since 2012 and committed to being carbon negative by 2030, removing more carbon from the environment than it emits.

By 2050, Microsoft aims to remove all historical carbon emissions the company has ever produced since its founding in 1975. The company utilizes 100% renewable electricity for its operations and has implemented internal carbon fees that charge business units for their carbon emissions, driving investment in sustainability improvements across the organization.

Microsoft's water strategy focuses on becoming water positive by 2030, meaning the company will replenish more water than it consumes in water-stressed regions where it operates. The company has implemented water reduction technologies and partnered with water conservation organizations to achieve this goal.

In waste management, Microsoft has achieved zero waste to landfill at its major campuses and data centers, implementing comprehensive recycling and composting programs. The company designs products for circularity, focusing on repairability, recyclability, and use of recycled materials.

Microsoft addresses ethical considerations through its AI principles and responsible AI development practices. The company has established six core AI principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability. Microsoft conducts regular AI ethics reviews and publishes transparency reports on AI system development and deployment.

The company maintains strong workplace diversity and inclusion programs, publishing annual diversity reports that track progress in representation across gender, race, ethnicity, and other dimensions. Microsoft has also implemented comprehensive supply chain responsibility programs to ensure ethical sourcing and labor practices among its suppliers.

Microsoft has received extensive recognition for technology innovation, workplace culture, and corporate responsibility:

• Fortune World's Most Admired Companies (2025): Ranked among the world's most admired companies in the technology sector, reflecting peer and analyst recognition of innovation, leadership, and social responsibility
• Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (2023): 14th year on the North American Index and 13th consecutive year on the World Index, recognizing Microsoft's environmental, social, and governance performance
• JUST 100 by JUST Capital: Recognition as one of America's most just companies, reflecting commitment to stakeholders including workers, customers, communities, and the environment
• Ranking Digital Rights Corporate Accountability Index: Recognition for protecting digital rights and privacy in technology products and services
• FTSE Russell (FTSE4Good Index): Inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index series for meeting globally recognized corporate responsibility standards
• ISS Environmental and Social QualityScore: High ratings for environmental and social governance practices and performance
• MSCI ESG Ratings: Consistent high ratings for environmental, social, and governance performance among technology companies
• Global RepTrak® 100: Recognition as one of the world's most reputable companies based on public perception and trust
• Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index™: Perfect score for LGBTQ+ workplace equality and inclusion practices
• Energy Star Partner of the Year (2024): Recognition for energy efficiency leadership in data centers and operations
• Stevie Awards (Multiple years): Awards for customer service excellence, sales achievement, and workplace innovation
• Technology Innovation Awards: Recognition for cloud computing, AI development, and software innovation excellence

Microsoft has faced significant regulatory scrutiny and controversies in 2025, primarily concerning antitrust practices, cybersecurity failures, and market dominance concerns. The company is currently under investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in what has been described as the broadest antitrust probe since the 1990s.

The FTC investigation, approved by then-Chair Lina Khan in November 2024, focuses on Microsoft's cloud computing practices, software licensing models, and alleged bundling of Teams with Office 365 products. In June 2024, the European Commission announced its preliminary view that Microsoft had violated antitrust law by granting Teams a distribution advantage through bundling practices.

Major cybersecurity breaches have intensified regulatory scrutiny of Microsoft's security practices. In July 2023, Chinese cyberspies targeted State Department and Commerce Department officials through Microsoft email services, prompting a Cyber Safety Review Board investigation that concluded "Microsoft's security culture was inadequate and requires an overhaul." A separate 2024 incident saw Kremlin-linked hackers access federal agency emails via Microsoft systems.

In September 2025, Senator Ron Wyden sent a sharp letter to FTC Chair Ferguson calling for investigation of Microsoft's "gross cybersecurity negligence," citing the company's role in the 2024 Ascension Health ransomware attack that affected 5.6 million people. Wyden criticized Microsoft for continuing to support vulnerable RC4 encryption technology and noted the company's de facto monopoly on operating systems leaves organizations with little choice but to accept Microsoft's security settings.

Microsoft has mounted an aggressive defense against the investigation, formally requesting in December 2024 that FTC Inspector General Andrew Katsaros investigate alleged information leaks from the agency. The company accused the FTC of "strategically leaking nonpublic information" and violating ethics rules. Corporate VP and Deputy General Counsel Rima Alaily leads Microsoft's regulatory response, coordinating a strategy that combines public cooperation with private resistance.

The company has also faced criticism regarding its artificial intelligence practices and partnerships, particularly its exclusive relationship with OpenAI and integration of AI features across its product suite. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about data collection practices in Microsoft's AI-powered products and the concentration of AI capabilities in the hands of a few major technology companies.