Microsoft operates LinkedIn, acquired it in 2016, and is also known for Windows.
Microsoft announced its agreement to acquire LinkedIn in June 2016 and completed the transaction later that year for about $26.2 billion. LinkedIn remained a distinct professional-networking service, while Microsoft incorporated its data and business connections into products such as Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Its Windows operating system became one of the most widely used desktop platforms, and the company later expanded into enterprise software, cloud computing, gaming, search, and hardware.
LinkedIn is not a Microsoft product in the same way that Windows is. It is a separately branded subsidiary within Microsoft’s corporate structure. The acquisition is relevant to market-cap discussions because Microsoft’s valuation reflects the combined expectations for its many businesses.