Who owns Pinterest? Pinterest is a publicly traded company, meaning its ownership is distributed among numerous individual and institutional shareholders who own shares of the company. It was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009.As a publicly-traded company, Pinterest’s major shareholders include institutional investors, such as investment firms, mutual funds, and retirement funds, as well as private individual investors.
The company’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “PINS.”The founders, board members, and top executives of Pinterest also hold a significant number of shares in the company, through equity awards, stock options, or direct investments. So, while there isn’t a single owner of Pinterest, a combination of founders, institutional investors, and individual shareholders collectively own the company through their shares in its stock.
Company History
Pinterest is a visual discovery engine for finding ideas like recipes, home and style inspiration, and more. It was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in March 2010. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. In the beginning, Pinterest was a closed beta, and new users needed an invitation to join the platform. However, due to the growing popularity, it was opened to the public in August 2012.
The company initially raised funds through venture capital investments from various investors including FirstMark, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Andreessen Horowitz. As Pinterest expanded, it acquired several smaller companies to improve its services. Some of these acquisitions include Livestar, Hackermeter, VisualGraph, and Hike Labs, among others. Ownership of Pinterest can be assigned to various stakeholders over time. The co-founders, Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp, were the initial owners of the company.
As the company raised funds through investments, several venture capital firms also gained partial ownership through equity shares. Some key investors include FirstMark, Bessemer Venture Partners, Valiant Capital Management, Fidelity Investments, and Andreessen Horowitz. In April 2019, Pinterest went public and started trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol PINS. This converted Pinterest into a publicly-traded company, and its ownership was further distributed among individual and institutional investors holding the company’s stock. As of now, Pinterest’s ownership is shared by its founders, investors, and stockholders.
While Ben Silbermann remains the CEO of the company, Paul Sciarra left Pinterest in 2012, and Evan Sharp transitioned to chief design and creative officer.
Who was the original founder?
Pinterest was originally co-founded by three individuals: Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp, with Silbermann being the driving force behind the company. Ben Silbermann was born in 1982 in Des Moines, Iowa, and studied at Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in political science in 2003. Before embarking on his journey in founding Pinterest, Silbermann worked at Google in the online advertising group.
However, he desired to create his own product and left Google in 2008. In collaboration with his college friend, Paul Sciarra, Ben came up with the idea of a platform to create virtual collections to share and discover various things. Later, Evan Sharp, a designer, joined the team to help with website design and user experience.
The initial prototype of Pinterest was launched in December 2009, focusing on the concept of enabling users to save images, create collections, and share their interest boards with a community. The platform gained momentum and popularity after being featured in the blog post ‘TechCrunch’ in 2010. Ben Silbermann has played a crucial role in Pinterest’s growth and proving it as a unique platform that combines social networking, bookmarking, and visual search aspects, setting it apart from other social media platforms.
Today, Pinterest is a successful company with millions of users worldwide, providing a source of inspiration and discovery for people with diverse interests.
FAQ – Who Owns Pinterest
Q1: Who are the founders of Pinterest?
A1: Pinterest was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in 2010.
Q2: Who is the current CEO of Pinterest?
A2: Ben Silbermann currently serves as the CEO of Pinterest.
Q3: Who are the major stakeholders of Pinterest?
A3: Major stakeholders of Pinterest include institutional investors, individual investors, and executive officers of the company.
Q4: Is Pinterest a publicly-traded company?
A4: Yes, Pinterest is a publicly-traded company. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol “PINS.”
Q5: How does Pinterest generate revenue?
A5: Pinterest generates revenue primarily through advertising, including promoted pins and other advertising formats.
Sources for More Information
- Pinterest Investors
- Yahoo Finance – Pinterest Key Statistics
- Crunchbase – Pinterest
- Investopedia – How Pinterest Makes Money
Featured image provided by Pixabay; Pexels; Thanks!
