Who Owns Netflix? Here Are the Top Netflix Shareholders

But who owns Netflix? After the company’s humble beginnings with Hastings and Randolph and its transformative impact on the entertainment industry, Netflix has attracted a broad range of shareholders, from individual investors to institutional funds and other corporate entities.

Netflix shareholders are drawn to its innovative content distribution model, its pioneering role in the streaming revolution, and its consistent efforts to adapt and evolve in a rapidly changing media landscape.

There are two versions of Netflix’s origin story. For years, the ‘tale’ of Netflix started with co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings. In numerous appearances and interviews, Hastings told the story of how the idea of Netflix came to be when he had rented the movie Apollo 13, lost it, and was forced to pay a $40 late fee.

While driving, Hastings conceived of a $40 fee not for being late, but as a subscription fee to get a certain number of DVDs delivered to you each month.

Other retellings liken the fee to a gym membership, where even if you don’t watch the movies, you still paid for the membership anyway. Years later, this would ring true, since most people are subscribed to multiple media streaming services and barely watch a percentage of what they offer.

Reed Hastings’s version of the story, however, cuts out one essential aspect: Co-founder Marc Randolph. Randolph was the vice president of corporate marketing for Pure Atria, Reed Hastings’s previous company. When DVDs started circulating, Randolph and Hastings were coming up with ways to capitalize on the trend, especially with the rise of Amazon dominating the book market at the time.

However, According to Randolph, the late fee Apollo 13 story was made up by Hastings for marketing purposes, and the real conception of Netflix just came from long drives with the two founders.

Regardless of how the idea came to be, the service—initially named Kibble before being renamed—became an instant success and went public just a couple of years later.

Netflix began a mail-in DVD rental service in 1998 and launched the online subscription service in 1999. The company’s website had a library of films customers could choose from, and they could get a set number of DVDs mailed to their homes each month.

By 2007, the Netflix streaming model we’re all familiar with was introduced. That year, Netflix began digitally streaming content directly to customers via the internet, with no limits, unlike their DVD mailing service. This was the game-changing innovation that became the basis for every streaming service we use today.

The content could be streamed through Blu-Ray players, computers, and video game consoles using an internet connection. Just a couple of years later, Netflix began expanding beyond the United States, making the service available in over 90 countries by 2016.

But things behind the scenes at Netflix were not as glamorous during this time. Founder Marc Randolph was slowly being pushed out of the company. This was not a good look for Netflix, which owed much of its success to Randolph.  In 2003, Marc Randolph departed from Netflix and sold most of his stock in the company.

The Netflix streaming empire is owned by a maze of institutional and individual shareholders. On one hand, you have the internal interests: the founders, board of directors, and executives with equity in the company.

On the other hand, Netflix also has major institutional investors with significant stakes in the company. Institutional shareholders tend to be driven more by corporate interests and bottom-line profits, whereas insiders may be more focused on growth and innovation.

Netflix’s diverse composition of shareholders demonstrates broad investor confidence that Netflix will succeed in the increasingly-competitive content streaming industry.

Reed Hastings, the visionary co-founder and former co-CEO of Netflix, holds a significant stake in the company and has used his influence to shape it into a global entertainment behemoth. His stake in Netflix proves his unwavering commitment to the company's mission and his pivotal role in its meteoric rise.

Reed Hastings was born on October 8, 1960, in Boston, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s in computer science. He co-founded Netflix with Marc Randolph in 1997 and served as the CEO until 2020. From 2020 to 2023, he served as co-CEO alongside current CEO Ted Sarandos.

Hastings has a net worth of $3.3 billion and currently owns a 2% stake in Netflix—he currently serves as Netflix’s Executive Chairman. Reed Hastings purchased an additional $20 million in Netflix stock after its price plummeted in 2022.

It's worth noting that Hastings's ownership extends beyond the realm of mere financial gain. He wields significant influence over Netflix's direction as a major shareholder, enabling him to shape its content strategy, technological advancements, and global expansion efforts.

Kilgore was instrumental in shaping Netflix's brand and customer engagement strategies as Chief Marketing Officer from 2000 to 2012. Her innovative contributions helped establish Netflix as a household name and contributed to widespread adoption of its streaming platform. Since 2012, she has served as a non-executive member of Netflix’s board of directors.

As for her shares, Leslie Kilgore owns about 35,196 shares in Netflix Inc., worth over $15 million, or about a 0.02% stake in the company. In addition to being a Netflix stakeholder, Kilgore’s endeavors at companies like LinkedIn and Pinterest have contributed to her estimated $23 million net worth.

David Hyman has been Netflix’s Chief Legal Officer since 2002 and is currently the company’s Secretary, too. Hyman navigated complex legal landscapes and contributed to shaping Netflix's business strategies. His expertise was instrumental in establishing key partnerships and licensing agreements that fueled the company's expansion and content offerings.

David Hyman owns about 31,610 Netflix Inc. shares, worth over $14 million—he has an estimated $24 million net worth.

Greg Peters is the co-CEO of Netflix and formerly served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Product Officer, and International Development Officer. Greg forged the streaming company’s global partnerships with electronics companies, internet service providers, and video programming distributors.

Greg Peters joined Netflix in 2008 and quickly climbed the ranks to co-CEO in 2023 following Reed Hastings’s exit. Hastings greatly supported the decision to promote Greg Peters.

Despite his senior position, Greg Peters only owns about 13,090 Netflix shares, worth about $5.7 million. However, he has an estimated net worth of over $90 million. With his newfound position, these numbers are likely going to skyrocket.

Vanguard Group is one of several institutional investors in Netflix. The company is a major global investment manager and it set its sights on the digital streaming company in its early days. Vanguard Group currently owns around 34.1 million shares in Netflix, which is about 7.8% of the total company.

By being a major stakeholder in Netflix, Vanguard demonstrates the high level of confidence institutional investors have placed in the streaming giant's strategic initiatives and long-term growth potential.

Blackrock Inc. is the world’s largest asset manager, and their interest in Netflix has taken the company’s stock to new heights. Blackrock currently owns around 28 million Netflix shares—worth around $12.24 billion—or a 6.5% stake in the company.

Capital Research Global Investors is an institutional investor with 18.4 million Netflix shares, or about 4.2% of the company.

The investment company doubled down hard on Netflix, making it their second-largest investment in a single company.

Netflix is bigger than ever when it comes to subscriber count and quality and quantity of content. However, with new streaming services on the rise and Netflix’s doubling down on the password sharing ban, Netflix’s stock is potentially undervalued.

In today's fast-paced world, driven by on-demand streaming services, Netflix's relevance has never been more significant. However, the streaming giant's position might be threatened as new players join the market and Netflix moves forward with it's controversial ban on account sharing.

It's worth noting that Netflix's subscriber count is not quite hitting the mark. They anticipated gaining 2.2 million subscribers in 2023, yet the reality seems closer to 1.75 million, an unexpected dip in their monthly subscriber base.

From a monetary standpoint, Netflix's revenue model seems strained—despite a rise in revenue, earnings have slipped by 18%. Is this downturn the “Netflix effect?” Or could it be tied to increased competition from diversified competitors like Amazon and Apple chipping away at Netflix's market share?

Regardless, the noteworthy Netflix success story isn't over just yet. The company's stock has bounced back, soaring over 20% in Q2 2023. This surge signals a potential opportunity window for individual shareholders and mutual funds looking to invest in the publicly traded company.

Despite the ups and downs, Netflix, as a pioneer in the streaming services sector, is a brand deeply ingrained in the business world. After all, this was just the beginning, and Netflix has transformed from a DVD rental service to a global entertainment company with an in-house production arm for original content.

Given the current landscape, investing in Netflix carries some risk, but it might also provide a substantial reward. With its aggressive content strategy and innovative technological advances, Netflix continues to showcase its commitment to staying ahead of the curve.

Therefore, while there are uncertainties revolving around Netflix’s status in the Nasdaq Stock Market, seasoned investors and newcomers should carefully consider the potential of the streaming service before making any investment decisions. 

The story of the how company outgrew its humble beginnings—when Netflix was founded—to where it stands today, makes Netflix stock an appealing investment.