Who Owns GoDaddy Company?

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Who Owns GoDaddy?

Understanding GoDaddy's ownership is key to grasping its strategic direction. Its IPO in April 2015 marked a major shift, moving from private equity to public trading on the NYSE.

Founded in 1997, GoDaddy is a major player in online presence solutions. As of 2023, it's the fifth-largest web host globally, managing over 82 million domains for more than 20 million customers.

Let's explore GoDaddy's ownership journey, from its early days to its current public status, including key investors and board influence. This includes understanding its GoDaddy BCG Matrix.

GoDaddy was established in 1997 by Robert Ralph Parsons, also known as Bob Parsons, in Phoenix, Arizona. Initially named Jomax Technologies, the company was rebranded as GoDaddy in 1999. The foundational capital for GoDaddy originated from the sale of Parsons' prior financial software venture, Parsons Technology, to Intuit in 1994 for $64 million.

Founding Year

GoDaddy was founded in 1997, marking the beginning of its journey in the domain registration and web hosting industry.

Founder

The company was established by Robert Ralph Parsons, widely recognized as Bob Parsons.

Initial Capital Source

Early funding for GoDaddy was derived from the $64 million sale of Bob Parsons' previous company, Parsons Technology, to Intuit.

Early Focus

The company prioritized building customer trust, investing in service, and ensuring hosting reliability in its formative years.

Market Leadership

By April 2005, GoDaddy had achieved the status of the largest ICANN-accredited registrar online.

Parsons' Tenure

Bob Parsons served as CEO until June 2011 and continued his involvement as Executive Chairman until June 2014.

While specific equity distributions at the company's inception are not publicly disclosed, Bob Parsons was the singular founder and was instrumental in its development. His early strategic decisions focused on establishing credibility through robust customer service and dependable hosting solutions. This approach laid the groundwork for GoDaddy's significant growth, detailed further in a Brief History of GoDaddy. Parsons remained connected to the company as a board director until October 2018, underscoring his lasting influence on its trajectory.

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GoDaddy's ownership journey has been marked by significant shifts, moving from private hands to a large-scale public offering. A key turning point was the 2011 acquisition by a private equity consortium, which paved the way for its eventual public trading.

The transition to public ownership in April 2015 through its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker 'GDDY' marked a new era for GoDaddy. This move, which raised $460 million, allowed for broader investment and provided capital for continued expansion. The IPO utilized an 'Up-C' structure, distinguishing between public Class A shares and pre-IPO Class B shares held by Founding Investors, who retained substantial voting power and economic stakes via LLC units. This structure reflects a strategic approach to managing ownership and control during the transition to public markets.

GoDaddy's Shareholder Landscape

As of June 2025, GoDaddy's ownership is heavily dominated by institutional investors, indicating significant market confidence. Individual insider holdings represent a small fraction of the total shares.

• Institutional investors hold approximately 97.52% of GoDaddy shares as of June 2025.
• The Vanguard Group Inc. is a major institutional shareholder, owning about 12.73% as of March 31, 2025.
• BlackRock, Inc. holds approximately 10.23% of outstanding shares.
• State Street Corp. possesses around 4.95% of the company's shares.
• Individual insiders collectively own about 0.55% of outstanding shares.

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As of June 2024, GoDaddy's Board of Directors is composed of experienced professionals overseeing the company's strategic direction. Graham Smith joined as an independent director in late June 2024, also serving on the Audit and Finance Committee. Brian Sharples chairs the board, with CEO Aman Bhutani, Leah Sweet, Srini Tallapragada, Mark Garrett, Caroline F. Donahue, Herald Y. Chen, and Sigal Zarmi also serving as members. Gregory Mondre, Co-CEO of Silver Lake, is another key member.

GoDaddy's voting power is structured through Class A and Class B shares. Public shareholders hold Class A shares, while Founding Investors possess Class B shares. This dual-class structure means Founding Investors maintain substantial voting control, even after the company's initial public offering. The 'Up-C' structure allows public stockholders to participate in economic and governance aspects via their Class A shares, while Founding Investors participate economically through LLC units and in governance through their Class B shares. There have been no significant public reports of proxy battles or activist campaigns influencing the company's decision-making recently.

Understanding GoDaddy's Ownership Structure

GoDaddy's ownership is influenced by a dual-class share structure, granting significant voting power to specific investor groups. This structure is common in technology companies to maintain founder or early investor control.

• Class A shares are held by public investors.
• Class B shares are held by Founding Investors.
• Founding Investors retain considerable voting power through Class B shares.
• The 'Up-C' structure facilitates participation for both public and founding investors.
• This structure impacts overall GoDaddy ownership dynamics.

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In recent years, the company has focused on shareholder value and strategic expansion. Ownership trends reflect a commitment to disciplined capital allocation and long-term growth, aligning with broader market movements towards increased institutional investment.

The company has actively managed its share structure through significant repurchase programs. These actions underscore a strategy to enhance shareholder returns and reflect confidence in the company's financial trajectory.

Shareholder Returns

A $4.0 billion share repurchase program, initiated in 2022, was completed by April 2025. This resulted in the repurchase of 43.7 million shares, reducing fully diluted shares by over 25% since January 2022.

Future Capital Allocation

A new share repurchase plan of up to $3.0 billion was authorized in April 2025, extending through 2027. This demonstrates a continued commitment to returning capital to shareholders.

Strategic Investments

The company is investing in AI-powered customer experiences, such as GoDaddy Airo. Expansion of commerce offerings includes new payment solutions and point-of-sale systems.

Market Position

These developments align with industry trends favoring institutional ownership and a focus on strategic growth. Understanding the company's Mission, Vision & Core Values of GoDaddy provides context for these strategic decisions.

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