Search engines, social networks and messaging apps make most of their money from advertising. Alphabet (Google and YouTube) and Meta (FacebookInstagram and WhatsApp) together take a large share of global digital ad spending, and their founders are among the ten richest people in the world 1.
The biggest internet companies
| Company | Main products | Market value, Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Alphabet | Google Search, YouTube, Android, Gemini | $3.42T |
| Meta | Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads | $1.55T |
| ByteDance | TikTok, Douyin | Private |
| Tencent | WeChat, games | Listed in Hong Kong |
Market values from CompaniesMarketCap 2.
How the money is made
These services are free to use. Their owners earn money by selling advertisers access to users, targeted by what people search for, watch and share. Because the apps have billions of users and cost little to serve each extra one, the businesses are extremely profitable, and the founders who kept large stakes became very rich.
The people behind it
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google in 1998 and still control Alphabet through super-voting shares. Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004 and controls Meta the same way. Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and renamed it X 1.
Regulation
The sector faces heavy regulation. In 2025 a US court ruled on Google’s search monopoly without forcing the sale of Chrome, and in August 2026 Meta agreed an $18 billion settlement with 29 states over claims its apps were designed to addict children 1. Europe’s Digital Markets Act also limits how the largest platforms can use their power.
Trends to watch
- AI search: chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini are changing how people find information, and how search ads are sold.
- Short video: TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts compete for the most time spent.
- Child safety: lawsuits and new laws on age checks and addictive design.
