YouTube
The World's Largest Video Sharing Platform — Streaming Over 1 Billion Hours Daily
📊Quick Facts
Founded
February 14, 2005
Founders
Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley
Headquarters
San Bruno, California
CEO
Neal Mohan (Since 2023)
Parent Company
Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
Acquisition Price
$1.65 Billion (2006)
Monthly Active Users
2.7 Billion (2026)
Annual Revenue
$31.5 Billion (2023)
Company Overview
YouTube is an American online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. Founded on February 14, 2005, by three former PayPal employees—Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, and Chad Hurley—YouTube has become the world's largest video platform and the second most visited website globally after Google Search.
The platform allows users to upload, view, rate, share, add to playlists, report, comment on videos, and subscribe to other users. Available content includes video clips, TV show clips, music videos, short films, documentaries, audio recordings, movie trailers, live streams, and other content such as video blogging, short original videos, and educational videos.
Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in November 2006, and it now operates as one of Google's subsidiaries. YouTube has transformed from a simple video-sharing website into a global platform that influences culture, politics, and entertainment, while creating an entirely new career path for content creators.
Founding & Early History
2005: The Beginning
YouTube was founded by three former PayPal employees in a garage in Menlo Park, California. The idea originated when the founders had difficulty sharing video clips from a dinner party in San Francisco.
The first video, "Me at the zoo," was uploaded by co-founder Jawed Karim on April 23, 2005. It features Karim at the San Diego Zoo and is only 18 seconds long. The video is still available and has become a piece of internet history.
2005-2006: Rapid Growth
YouTube officially launched to the public on December 15, 2005. By July 2006, the company announced that over 65,000 new videos were being uploaded every day, and the site was receiving 100 million video views per day.
The platform's growth was explosive. In October 2006, just 10 months after its public launch, Google announced it would acquire YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock. At the time, YouTube had approximately 50 million users.
2006: Google Acquisition
On October 9, 2006, Google announced it had acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in Google stock. The deal was finalized on November 13, 2006. At the time, it was Google's largest acquisition. The founders and early employees received significant payouts, with the three co-founders becoming multi-millionaires overnight.
Major Milestones
YouTube launches Partner Program, allowing creators to monetize content
Introduces HD video streaming and 1080p support
Surpasses 1 trillion video views; Live streaming launches
Reaches 4 billion views per day; Acquires video editing startup
Launches YouTube Red (later YouTube Premium) subscription service
Introduces YouTube TV streaming television service
Reaches 1.5 billion logged-in users monthly
Launches YouTube Shorts to compete with TikTok
Neal Mohan becomes CEO after Susan Wojcicki steps down
Reaches 2.7 billion monthly active users; 500 hours of video uploaded per minute
Leadership History
Chad Hurley (2005-2010)
Co-founder & First CEO
Served as CEO from founding through the Google acquisition and early growth years. Left YouTube in 2010 but remained an advisor.
Salar Kamangar (2010-2014)
Second CEO
Google executive who took over after Hurley's departure. Focused on content partnerships and expanding the creator ecosystem.
Susan Wojcicki (2014-2023)
Longest-Serving CEO
Former Google executive who oversaw YouTube's massive expansion, launched YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, and YouTube Shorts. Grew the platform from 1 billion to over 2.5 billion users. Stepped down in February 2023 to focus on family and personal projects.
Neal Mohan (2023-Present)
Current CEO
Former Chief Product Officer who played a key role in developing YouTube's ad products. Took over as CEO in February 2023, focusing on AI integration, creator tools, and competing with short-form video platforms.
Platform Statistics (2026)
Monthly Active Users
Hours Uploaded Per Minute
Hours Watched Daily
Countries Available
Languages Supported
Annual Revenue (2023)
Products & Services
YouTube Premium
Subscription service offering ad-free viewing, background play, offline downloads, and access to YouTube Music. Launched as YouTube Red in 2015, rebranded in 2018.
YouTube TV
Live TV streaming service with 100+ channels including sports, news, and entertainment. Launched in 2017 as a cable replacement option.
YouTube Shorts
Short-form video feature launched in 2020 to compete with TikTok and Instagram Reels. Supports vertical videos up to 60 seconds with over 50 billion daily views.
YouTube Music
Music streaming service launched in 2015, redesigned in 2018. Competes with Spotify and Apple Music, offering both free and premium tiers.
YouTube Studio
Creator dashboard for managing channels, analyzing performance, editing videos, and monitoring comments. Replaced the classic Creator Studio in 2019.
Controversies & Challenges
Content Moderation
YouTube has faced ongoing criticism for its content moderation policies, struggling to balance free speech with removing harmful content including hate speech, misinformation, and extremist content. The "Adpocalypse" of 2017 saw major advertisers pull spending due to ads appearing next to extremist content.
Copyright & Fair Use
The platform's ContentID system has been controversial, with creators claiming false copyright strikes and limited fair use protections. Legal battles with Viacom and other media companies shaped early copyright policies.
Algorithm & Radicalization
Research has suggested YouTube's recommendation algorithm can lead users down "rabbit holes" toward increasingly extreme content. The company has made changes to reduce recommendations of borderline content and conspiracy theories.
Creator Compensation
Creators have criticized YouTube's changing monetization policies, demonetization of content, and the revenue split. The company takes 45% of ad revenue, with creators receiving 55%.
Cultural Impact
YouTube has fundamentally changed media consumption, entertainment, and communication worldwide. The platform has created an entirely new career path—professional content creator—with top YouTubers earning millions annually through ad revenue, sponsorships, and merchandise.
The platform has launched careers in music (Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes), education (Khan Academy, CrashCourse), gaming (PewDiePie, MrBeast), and commentary (Philip DeFranco, Casey Neistat). Terms like "YouTuber" and "going viral" have entered everyday vocabulary.
YouTube has also become a primary news source for younger demographics, a political organizing tool, an educational resource, and a platform for social movements. The phrase "I saw it on YouTube" reflects the platform's role as a cultural archive and reference point.