Which company owns the LinkedIn professional-networking service?

Microsoft owns the LinkedIn professional-networking service.

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social network founded in 2003 by Reid Hoffman and several co-founders. It lets members maintain professional profiles, connect with colleagues, advertise jobs, recruit workers, publish posts, and offer learning content. The service launched publicly on May 5, 2003.

Microsoft announced its acquisition of LinkedIn in June 2016 and completed the transaction in December of that year for approximately 26.2 billion U.S. dollars. LinkedIn continued operating as a distinct service within Microsoft rather than being renamed as a Microsoft product.

Microsoft's purchase expanded its position in professional software and data. LinkedIn's revenue comes from areas including recruiting solutions, advertising, premium subscriptions, and learning services. It is sometimes confused with a general social network, but its defining focus is professional identity and workplace relationships. Microsoft also owns GitHub, which serves software developers but is separate from LinkedIn.