Who actually owns Costco?

Costco is a publicly traded company, not owned by a single entity, but rather by its shareholders. This means that anyone can invest in the company by buying shares of stock. There is no single individual or entity that owns the majority of Costco. Large investment firms that manage money on behalf of others, like pension funds or mutual funds, are the largest shareholders, owning a significant portion of Costco's stock.

Who is the parent company of Costco?

Costco does not have a parent company. Costco Wholesale Corporation is a publicly traded company.

3. Who is the largest shareholder of Costco?

The largest shareholder of Costco is The Vanguard Group. It holds approximately 9.5% of Costco's outstanding shares. BlackRock is the second-largest shareholder, owning about 7.8%.

4. Does Warren Buffett own Costco?

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway does not currently own Costco. Berkshire Hathaway had a significant stake in Costco, which it sold off in 2020.

Who Owns Costco? Largest Shareholders & Ownership Structure

By Rachel Warren – Updated Dec 18, 2025 at 1:22 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Costco's revenue is driven by membership fees and bulk sales, focusing on low prices and volume.
Institutional investors own 72.26% of Costco, influencing its share performance.
A high member renewal rate of 90% shows strong loyalty and stable revenue streams.

Costco (COST +1.16%) was founded in 1983 by Jim Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman, building on the warehouse-club model pioneered by Sol Price’s Price Club in the 1970s. Costco and Price Club merged in 1993, forming what is now one of the largest retailers in the world.

Today, Costco operates a membership-based business that emphasizes low prices and high sales volume. Annual membership fees are a key profit driver, helping the company maintain thin margins on products while remaining consistently profitable. Strong customer loyalty, reflected in renewal rates around 90%, provides a stable revenue foundation.

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Who is the owner of Costco?

Costco is a publicly traded company that is not owned by a single person or entity. It is owned by its shareholders, including a mix of institutional and retail investors, with large asset managers owning the majority of the stock.

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Who are the largest shareholders?

Currently, 72.26% of Costco shares are held by institutional investors. Just 0.20% of shares are held by company insiders.

Shareholder

An individual or entity that owns a portion of a company's stock, entitling them to a share of its profits and assets.

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Individuals

The top five largest individual shareholders of Costco are:

W. Craig Jelinek: Served as chief executive officer of Costco from 2012 until his retirement in 2023. Jelinek joined Costco in 1984, initially working as a warehouse manager. He owns 356,409 shares of Costco.
Hamilton E. James: Current chairman of the board and director of the company since August 1988. He served as the lead independent director from 2005 until August 2017, when he became the non-executive chairman of the board. In addition to serving as the chairman of his family investment firm, Jefferson River Capital, he previously worked in numerous roles at Blackstone (BX -0.87%) as executive vice chairman, president, and chief operating officer. He owns 56,403 shares of Costco.
Ron M. Vachris: CEO of Costco. Vachris has served as
a director of the company since February 2022, and as chief executive officer and president since January 2024. He has served in a wide variety of roles at Costco through the years. He was Costco's president and chief operating officer from February 2022 to January 2024, executive vice president of merchandising from June 2016 to January 2022, senior vice president of real estate development from August 2015 to June 2016, and senior vice president, general manager of the Northwest region, from 2010 to July 2015. He owns 44,677 shares of Costco.
Richard A. Galanti: Former chief financial officer of Costco. Galanti served in the role for more than forty years, before announcing his intention to retire in 2024. He remained with Costco, serving in an advisory role to assist the incoming CFO until January 2025. He owns 35,126 shares of Costco.
Jeffrey S. Raikes: Serves as director at Costco and is known for his tenure at Microsoft (MSFT +1.68%) as well as his role as former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Raikes has been a director of Costco since December 2008. He owns 30,784 shares of Costco.

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Institutional investors

The top five largest institutional shareholders of Costco are as follows:

Vanguard Group Inc.: The Vanguard Group is a leading global asset management company that primarily offers investment management and advisory services to individuals, institutions, and financial professionals. It is known for a broad range of investment products, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and its focus on providing low-cost, high-quality investments. The Vanguard Group controls a 9.5% stake in Costco, or 42.2 million shares, a stake worth about $41.97 billion.
BlackRock Inc. (BLK -0.27%): BlackRock is a global asset management company and a fiduciary to its clients, offering a wide range of investment solutions and risk management services. It manages assets on behalf of various institutions and individuals, including pensions, educational organizations, insurance companies, and governments. BlackRock's services encompass investment management, advisory, and risk management. The company owns 34.76 million shares of Costco, a 7.83% stake in the business valued at $34.57 billion.
State Street Corporation (STT -0.02%): State Street is a global financial services company with a primary focus on serving institutional investors. It provides a range of services, including investment management, investment servicing, and markets and financing. State Street is a leader in custody, fund administration, and other related services for institutional investors, including asset managers, asset owners, and insurance companies. The company owns a 4.08% stake in Costco, or 18.09 million shares. Its stake is valued at approximately $17.99 billion.
Geode Capital Management, LLC: Geode Capital Management is a global systematic investment manager that provides institutional investors with a variety of investment solutions. It focuses on designing and implementing core beta exposures across a range of equity and niche asset classes, leveraging technology and a disciplined, repeatable investment process to manage assets and deliver risk-adjusted performance. The firm controls a 2.2% stake in Costco, or 9.74 million shares, a stake worth about $9.69 billion.
Morgan Stanley (MS -0.04%) Morgan Stanley is a large global financial services firm that offers a wide range of services to help clients raise, manage, and distribute capital. Key services include advising companies on major financial transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, initial public offerings (IPOs), and debt offerings, and facilitating the buying and selling of securities for institutional clients, including hedge funds and other large investors. Morgan Stanley manages assets for institutions and individuals, offering a range of investment strategies across various asset classes. The company owns a 2.16% stake in Costco, or 9.57 million shares, valued at $9.52 billion.

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Who is on the board of directors for Costco?

There are currently nine individuals serving on the board of directors for Costco. These individuals are as follows:

Hamilton E. James: Chairman of the board.
Susan Decker: Director. Susan L. Decker has served as a director of the company since October 2004. She is chief executive officer and founder of campus community platform Raftr, Inc., and previously served in multiple management roles at Yahoo! Inc., including president, executive vice president, and CFO. She is a director of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)(BRK:B) and Vail Resorts. (MTN -1.85%), among numerous companies. Previous director roles include Intel Corporation (INTC -2.85%) and Pixar. She owns 12,078 shares of Costco.
Kenneth D. Denman: Denman has been a director of the company since March 2017. He has served as a general partner at Sway Ventures, a venture capital firm, since March 2017. Previous roles include president and CEO of Emotient, Inc., which was acquired by Apple (AAPL +1.63%) in 2016; CEO of Openwave Systems; and chairman and CEO of iPass, Inc. He is also a member of the board of directors of Motorola Solutions (MSI -0.11%). He owns 6,223 shares of Costco.
Helena Buonanno Foulkes: She has been a director of the company since August 2023. She previously served as CEO and member of the board of directors of Hudson's Bay Company from February 2018 to March 2020 and in numerous leadership roles at CVS Health (CVS +0.15%) between 2011 and 2018. Foulkes is also a member of the board of directors of Skillsoft. (SKIL +4.53%). She owns 840 shares of Costco.
Sally Jewell: She has been a director since January 2020. She served as the interim chief executive officer of The Nature Conservancy from June 2019 until May 2020, and previously served as U.S. Interior secretary under President Obama from 2013-17. Prior to that, she was CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), from 2005-13, COO from 2005, and a board member from 1996 to 2013. She also worked in commercial banking for 19 years. She owns 3,327 shares of Costco.
Jeff Raikes: Director.
John W. Stanton: A prominent figure in the wireless telecommunications industry, he has served as a director since October 2015. Stanton is also the chairman of Trilogy International Partners, Inc. and Trilogy Equity Partners. He was previously the chairman and CEO of Western Wireless Corporation and T-Mobile USA (TMUS +2.63%). He is currently a director of Trilogy International Partners and Microsoft and was previously a director of Columbia Sportswear Company (COLM +2.06%). He owns 24,226 shares of Costco.
Ron Vachris: President, CEO, and director.
Maggie Wilderotter: She has been a director of the company since October 2015 and serves as senior advisor for numerous private equity venture firms. She served as chief executive officer and chair of the Grand Reserve Inn from December 2016 to June 2023 and was the interim CEO of DocuSign. (DOCU +0.31%) from June through October 2022. She previously served as the executive chairman of Frontier Communications (NASDAQ:FYBR) from April 2015 until April 2016, CEO from 2004-15, and chair of the board from December 2005. Prior to that, she served as senior vice president of Microsoft from 2002 to 04. She owns 12,671 shares of Costco.

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Board of Directors

A group of elected individuals responsible for overseeing the activities of a company and representing shareholders.

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What Costco’s ownership tells us

Costco’s ownership structure reflects its status as a mature, widely held public company. Large institutional investors hold most of the shares, while executives and directors maintain relatively small personal stakes.

This balance, combined with a strong membership model and high customer loyalty, has helped Costco prioritize long-term stability and disciplined growth over short-term swings.

For readers interested in taking the next step, here’s a practical overview of how to buy Costco stock.

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Who owns Costco: FAQ

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About the Author

Rachel Warren is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, information technology, and consumer goods. Prior to The Motley Fool, Rachel was a paralegal and legal administrator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Liberty University School of Law.

TMFRachelW

Rachel Warren has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Blackstone, Costco Wholesale, Docusign, Intel, Microsoft, and Vail Resorts. The Motley Fool recommends BlackRock, CVS Health, and T-Mobile US and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Who Owns Costco? Largest Shareholders & Ownership Structure

Key Points

Who is the owner of Costco?