Who owns Netflix? Meet the streaming giant's top shareholders
Netflix is an American subscription-based streaming service that offers various award-winning television shows, documentaries, movies, anime, and more on internet-connected devices. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and shows from different genres and is available internationally in multiple languages. But who owns Netflix? Meet the streaming giant's top shareholders.
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Netflix was founded in 1997 as a mail-based DVD rental business, which eventually transitioned into an online streaming service in 2017. Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph were the brains behind this global entertainment powerhouse that has altered how users consume movies and television shows. This mega streaming service has its headquarters in Los Gatos, California, with branches globally.
Who owns Netflix?
Netflix is one of the best-known streaming and media companies in the world. Besides streaming, the company has also ventured into mobile games via video game publishing. Over 435 million outstanding shares are estimated to be owned by insiders and institutional shareholders. Here are the top Netflix shareholders.
1. Vanguard Group Inc.
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Vanguard Group Inc. is an American registered investment advisor based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and is one of the top asset management firms globally. It was founded by John C Bogle in 1975. The company offers investment and advisory services and owns around 36.4 million shares in Netflix, equivalent to 8.42%.
2. BlackRock Inc.
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BlackRock Inc. is an American multinational investment company that provides investment, advisory, and risk management solutions. It is headquartered in New York City and has over 70 offices in more than 30 countries. The company, founded in 1988, owns 30.8 million shares worth around $19.66 billion, or a 7.14% stake.
3. Capital Group
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Capital Group is an American financial services company regarded as the world's oldest and largest investment management organisation. The company offers investment advisory research and related services for equity assets. The company holds 11.7 million Netflix shares, equivalent to about 2.71%.
4. Fidelity Investments
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Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company manages mutual funds, retirement services, fund distribution, investment advice, and brokerage.
Fidelity Investment holds about 21.9 million shares valued at around $13.96 billion, equivalent to 5.07% of outstanding shares. The company was founded in 1946 as Fidelity Management and Research.
5. State Street Corporation
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State Street Corporation is a global financial service and bank holding company. Its headquarters are at One Lincoln Street in Boston, with offices in more than 29 countries worldwide. The company, founded in 1792, owns around 16.7 million shares, equivalent to about 3.87% of outstanding shares.
6. Rick Kimbal Jr.
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Richard Kimball Jr. is an American venture capitalist and technology investor famous as the founding partner of Technology Crossover Ventures. He is also a seasoned financial services and healthcare executive with 35 years of experience advising companies on multiple public equity offerings. Kimball is also considered the largest individual Netflix shareholder, with 8.01 million shares representing 1.85% of the company.
7. Reed Hastings
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Reed, whose full name is Wilmot Reed Hastings Jr., is an American business mogul. He is the co-founder and executive chairman of Netflix.
Hastings retains just under three million Netflix shares, worth around $1.7 billion. As a founder, he wields significant influence over Netflix's direction, enabling him to shape its technological advancements, global expansion efforts, and content strategy.
8. Leslie J. Kilgore
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Leslie was Netflix's Chief Marketing Officer from 2000 to 2012. She was instrumental in shaping the company's brand and customer engagement strategies.
Kilgore owns about 35,196 shares in Netflix, worth over $15 million, equivalent to a 0.02% stake in the company. She also served on Nextdoor Holding's board from 2015 to 2023.
9. David Hyman
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Hyman is an American entrepreneur who has been Netflix's Chief Legal Officer and secretary since 2002. He owns about 31,610 shares worth over $14 million. His expertise helped establish critical partnerships and licensing agreements that propelled the company's expansion and content offerings.
10. Greg Peters
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Greg is an American businessman who became the co-CEO of Netflix in January 2023. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer.
He joined the company in 2008 and owns about 5,352 Netflix shares. Earlier, he was Macrovision Solution Corp's senior vice president and was on DoorDash's board.
11. Bradford Smith
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Bradford is an American attorney and business executive who became Vice Chairman of Microsoft in 2021. Since March, he has also been one of Netflix's directors and reportedly owns over 6499 shares. His expertise includes intellectual property, competition law, government surveillance and privacy.
Who founded Netflix?
Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph founded Netflix on August 29, 1997, to rent DVDs online and deliver them through mail. Since then, it has become a global entertainment powerhouse.
Reed is a billionaire American entrepreneur and businessman. In addition to Netflix, Reed co-founded Knewton, an education technology company, and sits on the boards of many non-profit organisations.
Marc Randolph is an American veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. As co-founder of Netflix, he laid much of the groundwork for the streaming company and later served on the Netflix board of directors until retiring in 2003. Besides Netflix, he has co-founded six other successful ventures and mentored hundreds of start-ups.
Who is the CEO of Netflix?
Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos are the Co-CEOs of Netflix, with Reed Hastings as Executive Chairman. Greg was named co-CEO of Netflix in January 2023.
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Who owns the most shares of Netflix?
Most company shares are owned by insiders such as Reed Hastings and large asset management companies such as the Vanguard Group. Rick Kimball is the largest individual Netflix shareholder, with over 8.01 million shares, equivalent to 1.85% of the company.
Where can I watch Netflix?
Create a Netflix account and sign in at Netflix.com from your streaming device. You can also download your favourite movies and shows with Android, iOS, or Windows 10 apps and watch while offline.
Is Netflix kids-friendly?
The streaming service offers a feature for kids where the parents have control over what kids watch. Also, kids' profiles have PIN-protected parental controls that let you restrict or block specific content you do not want your kids to see.
Is the Netflix CEO a billionaire?
Reed Hastings is an American billionaire and entrepreneur. According to Celebrity Net Worth, his net worth is estimated at $4 billion. He has earned his vast wealth as the co-founder, Chairman and Executive director of Netflix.
Why is it called Netflix?
It is derived from a combination of two names; Net is derived from the word Internet, while Flix is a shortened version of the word flicks, a colloquial term for movies. It was initially called Kibble.
Above is everything we know about who owns Netflix and the company's history. It is considered one of the leading streaming services globally and has become a global entertainment powerhouse. Even though it faces stiff competition from other streaming services, it remains the industry leader due to its adequate leadership strategies.
READ ALSO: Top 10 best series on Netflix from South Africa to watch
Briefly.co.za recently published an article about the best series on Netflix from South Africa. The country boasts a fast-rising television industry, gaining attention for its unique storytelling and diverse talent. It also has something for everyone, from hard-hitting dramas to lighthearted comedies. Discover what to watch on Netflix SA.
Source: Briefly News
