# Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop software for an early personal computer known as the Altair 8800.

*business · news · 2026-04-06 · BGR*

## Key points

- Microsoft owns GitHub, which surpassed 180 million developers and 630 million projects in 2025.
- Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion, its largest acquisition at the time.
- Microsoft became the third-largest gaming company after acquiring Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in 2023.
- Microsoft's 2021 acquisition of ZeniMax Media expanded its creative studios from 15 to 23.
- SwiftKey, a popular predictive keyboard app with over a billion downloads, was acquired by Microsoft in 2016.

**Companies:** Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, GitHub, LinkedIn, ZeniMax, SwiftKey
**Countries:** United States

[Read the full story on BGR](https://www.bgr.com/2136413/major-brands-owned-by-microsoft/)

---

Canonical: https://newsio.io/n/1dc0e593-88d5-419d-875a-243c92b0505a/microsoft-was-founded-in-1975-by-bill-gates-and-paul-allen-to-develop-software-f
Summarized by Newsio from BGR. https://newsio.io/how-it-works