Meta Platforms is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and ranks among the world’s largest by market value.
The company was called Facebook, Inc. until it changed its name to Meta Platforms in October 2021. The rebrand emphasized a strategic focus on the metaverse, while its established social-network and messaging services continued operating under their familiar names.
Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes in 2004. Meta later acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, expanding its global network of communication and media platforms.
Meta’s market capitalization is driven largely by digital advertising across Facebook and Instagram. The company also invests in virtual and augmented reality through Reality Labs. Its Class A shares trade under META, while a separate Class B share class gives founders and certain insiders greater voting control.