Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016.
LinkedIn is a professional networking service founded in 2003. Members use it to present career information, connect with colleagues, advertise jobs, publish professional content, and follow organizations.
Microsoft announced the acquisition in June 2016, and the transaction closed later that year. LinkedIn continued operating as a separate brand and platform while gaining access to Microsoft's enterprise software ecosystem and cloud infrastructure.
The deal is often confused with Microsoft's acquisition of other software companies, including GitHub, which Microsoft purchased in 2018. LinkedIn's value is tied to professional identity, recruitment, advertising, subscriptions, and business services rather than consumer messaging alone.