Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger)

Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, Inc., is a global technology conglomerate headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The brand originated with the launch of Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his co-founders at Harvard University. Over the years, the company has expanded its portfolio significantly by acquiring major platforms such as Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, eventually rebranding to Meta in 2021 to reflect its focus on building the metaverse.

While Meta is a digital service provider, its physical infrastructure consists of massive data centers located throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Additionally, its hardware products, such as Meta Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, are manufactured through global supply chains with primary assembly operations in China and other Asian manufacturing hubs.

As of 2024 and looking toward 2026, Meta remains a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. Mark Zuckerberg continues to hold significant control over the company's direction through a dual-class share structure. The company remains the ultimate owner of its core subsidiaries, operating under United States jurisdiction while maintaining regional offices and data centers globally to manage its vast digital ecosystem.