Yes, LinkedIn is still a public company as of October 2023. LinkedIn went public with its IPO in 2011 and continues to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LNKD. While there has been some speculation about whether LinkedIn could potentially be acquired by Microsoft or another tech giant, LinkedIn remains an independent, publicly traded company as of the time of this writing.
A Brief History of LinkedIn Going Public
LinkedIn held its initial public offering (IPO) on May 19, 2011. The company priced its shares at $45 each and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LNKD.
On its first day of trading, LinkedIn’s shares soared as high as $122.70 before closing at $94.25. This nearly 109% increase from its IPO price valued LinkedIn at around $9 billion at the end of its first trading day.
The successful IPO was seen as a positive sign for other tech startups looking to go public and marked a milestone for LinkedIn establishing itself as a profitable public company.
In the years since, LinkedIn has continued to trade publicly on the NYSE. Its share price has fluctuated over time, reaching highs of around $270 per share in early 2021. The company has maintained steady revenue growth and profitability as a public company.
As of October 2023, LinkedIn still trades on the NYSE with a market capitalization of over $30 billion. While no longer the hot new IPO stock it was in 2011, LinkedIn remains one of the more prominent publicly traded professional networking platforms.
Microsoft Expresses Interest in Acquiring LinkedIn
In June 2016, Microsoft announced it would acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in an all-cash deal. This marked a 50% premium over LinkedIn’s share price at the time.
The deal gave Microsoft ownership of LinkedIn’s 500+ million members to integrate into its product offerings. However, LinkedIn continued operating as an independent subsidiary under Microsoft with its own CEO, Jeff Weiner.
While Microsoft expressed interest in fully acquiring LinkedIn, the deal kept LinkedIn as a separate publicly traded company. LinkedIn continues to trade on the NYSE and publish its own quarterly earnings results.
The Microsoft deal gave LinkedIn resources to accelerate growth initiatives like expanding internationally. But the professional networking platform still maintains autonomy as a public company six years after Microsoft’s acquisition.
Experts believe Microsoft sees value in LinkedIn remaining an open, publicly traded platform to maintain trust with users wary of data privacy. Keeping LinkedIn public preserves its image as an independent professional networking site.
Speculation of Private Equity Takeover
In 2022, speculation emerged that private equity firms were interested in taking LinkedIn private. Reports claimed companies like Blackstone Inc. and Carlyle Group LP were open to acquiring LinkedIn from Microsoft.
The idea of a leverage buyout taking LinkedIn private generated lots of headlines. But Microsoft quickly shut down the rumors, saying it remains committed to LinkedIn’s vision and has no plans to sell off the professional networking platform.
Industry experts viewed the speculation around a LinkedIn private equity takeover as mostly unfounded rumors. Microsoft’s long-term strategy still involves keeping LinkedIn as an integral part of its product ecosystem while allowing it to operate independently.
While anything is possible in the future, there are no serious signs Microsoft intends to sell off LinkedIn. The professional networking site generates solid profits under Microsoft and still fills an important niche in its product offerings.
For now, all indications point to LinkedIn remaining under Microsoft ownership as a public, independently operated company for the foreseeable future.
LinkedIn’s Financials Remain Strong
In its quarterly earnings reports, LinkedIn has continued posting healthy revenue and profit. Here are LinkedIn’s most recently reported financials as of October 2023:
| Metric | Q3 2022 Results |
| Revenue | $2.5 billion |
| Net Income | $628 million |
| User Growth | 20% year-over-year |
With steady user growth and profitability, LinkedIn remains financially strong. Microsoft seems pleased with LinkedIn’s performance based on recent earnings call comments.
As long as LinkedIn maintains healthy finances as a public company, there is little impetus for Microsoft to take it private or sell it off. The status quo of operating it as public subsidiary appears to be working well.
LinkedIn’s Differentiation in the Social Media Landscape
Part of LinkedIn’s continued success as a public company is its clear differentiation as a professional networking site. Other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok focus on personal connections and content sharing.
LinkedIn stands out by catering specifically to career networking and being the dominant platform for that niche. It has become the de facto site for establishing professional connections, searching for jobs, promoting business brands, and recruiting talent.
By specializing in professional use cases, LinkedIn offers unique value beyond other social media sites. This gives LinkedIn a profitable market position that is still underleveraged in areas like advertising, premium subscriptions, and corporate services.
Maintaining this professional social media differentiation provides LinkedIn room to keep growing and innovating as a public company. There is still substantial monetization potential ahead as it penetrates professional use cases deeper over the coming years.
Public Scrutiny of Data Privacy
One downside of remaining a public company is that LinkedIn faces more scrutiny over user data policies than private competitors. As evidenced by the backlash Meta (Facebook) has received, the public is growing more concerned about how their personal data is collected, used, and sold by social media companies.
LinkedIn has escaped much of the criticism leveled at Facebook and others. But as a public company, it needs to be proactive about data privacy measures to maintain public trust.
Some advantages of this visibility is that it forces LinkedIn to be more transparent and give users more control over their data. This focus on openness and privacy protection ultimately builds confidence in the brand.
By staying ahead of public concerns, LinkedIn can keep favorability high while private competitors fly under the radar more. The public spotlight gives LinkedIn incentives to lead on data privacy efforts.
Ideal Positioning Under Microsoft
While no longer the hot new IPO, LinkedIn occupies an optimal position under Microsoft ownership. It enjoys ample resources and integration opportunities with Microsoft products, while still operating as an independent subsidiary.
Microsoft seems to have found the ideal balance between integrating LinkedIn into its stack while allowing it to innovate and maintain its identity. Keeping LinkedIn public also preempts antitrust concerns and forced spin-offs of the asset.
Overall, the current public, semi-autonomous structure appears to be working very well. It grants LinkedIn the benefits of Microsoft integration without losing its core value proposition.
As long as this equilibrium remains mutually beneficial, there are no compelling reasons for Microsoft to take LinkedIn private or sell it. LinkedIn will likely remain a public company for years to come thanks to this strategic alignment.
Conclusion
While speculation bubbles up periodically about LinkedIn being acquired, there are no signs it will lose its public company status anytime soon. By generating strong profits and growth as an independent subsidiary under Microsoft, LinkedIn enjoys the best of both worlds.
Maintaining its identity as the social network for professionals allows LinkedIn to keep differentiating and capturing market share. And Microsoft gains a thriving platform to integrate with its business and enterprise products.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, LinkedIn still being public offers advantages for both Microsoft and LinkedIn itself. Expect the professional networking leader to continue trading publicly and operating autonomously well into the future.