who-owns-blue-origin

Who owns Blue Origin?

Blue Origin is an aerospace equipment manufacturer headquartered in Kent, Washington, and founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000. The company also sells sub-orbital spaceflight services.

AspectDescriptionAnalysisExamples
Products and ServicesBlue Origin focuses on developing and manufacturing space launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and spacecraft designed for sub-orbital and orbital missions. The company aims to make space travel more accessible and to facilitate human space exploration. Blue Origin’s products and services include the New Shepard suborbital rocket, the BE-3 and BE-4 rocket engines, and future spacecraft for orbital missions.Blue Origin’s core products are space launch vehicles and rocket engines, catering to both sub-orbital and orbital missions. The company’s vision is to make space travel more accessible and enable human space exploration. Key offerings include the New Shepard suborbital rocket, BE-3 and BE-4 rocket engines, and plans for future orbital spacecraft. Blue Origin’s focus on innovation and its mission-driven approach drive its product development.Space launch vehicles (New Shepard), rocket engines (BE-3, BE-4), spacecraft for sub-orbital and orbital missions, focus on making space travel accessible and enabling human space exploration, innovation-driven product development.
Revenue StreamsBlue Origin generates revenue primarily through the sale of launch services, rocket engines, and spacecraft, both for its sub-orbital tourism operations and for its involvement in the commercial and government satellite launch markets. The company also benefits from contracts with NASA and other space agencies for space exploration missions and research.The primary revenue source for Blue Origin is the sale of launch services, rocket engines, and spacecraft. The company operates in the commercial and government satellite launch markets, serving customers with a need to access space. Contracts with NASA and other space agencies provide additional income streams and opportunities for involvement in space exploration missions. Blue Origin’s diversified revenue sources contribute to its financial stability.Revenue from the sale of launch services, rocket engines, and spacecraft (sub-orbital tourism, commercial satellite launches, government satellite launches), contracts with NASA and other space agencies for space exploration missions and research, diversified revenue sources, financial stability.
Customer SegmentsBlue Origin’s customer segments include tourists and researchers interested in sub-orbital space travel for scientific experiments and recreational purposes. The company also caters to commercial satellite operators, government agencies, and research institutions seeking reliable launch services and access to space. Additionally, collaborations with NASA and other space agencies involve space exploration missions.Customer segments for Blue Origin encompass tourists and researchers interested in sub-orbital space travel, commercial satellite operators requiring reliable launch services, government agencies seeking access to space, and research institutions using space for scientific experiments. Collaborations with NASA and other space agencies involve participation in space exploration missions. Blue Origin’s diverse customer base spans various sectors of the space industry.Tourists and researchers interested in sub-orbital space travel, commercial satellite operators requiring reliable launch services, government agencies seeking access to space, research institutions conducting scientific experiments in space, collaborations with NASA and other space agencies for space exploration missions, diverse customer segments spanning various space industry sectors.
Distribution ChannelsBlue Origin distributes its launch services, rocket engines, and spacecraft through direct contracts and partnerships with customers. The company engages with sub-orbital tourists and researchers through its website and booking platform. Commercial satellite operators, government agencies, and research institutions typically enter into contractual agreements with Blue Origin for launch services. Collaboration with NASA and other space agencies involves government contracts and agreements.Distribution channels for Blue Origin involve direct contracts and partnerships with customers in the space industry. Sub-orbital tourists and researchers engage with the company through its website and booking platform. Commercial satellite operators, government agencies, and research institutions typically establish contractual agreements with Blue Origin for launch services. Collaborations with NASA and other space agencies often involve government contracts and cooperative agreements. Blue Origin’s distribution strategy is tailored to the specific needs of its diverse customer base.Distribution through direct contracts and partnerships with customers (launch services, rocket engines, spacecraft), engagement with sub-orbital tourists and researchers through the website and booking platform, contractual agreements with commercial satellite operators, government agencies, and research institutions, collaborations with NASA and other space agencies through government contracts and cooperative agreements.
Key PartnershipsBlue Origin collaborates with various partners to support its operations. The company works with satellite operators and payload providers to offer launch services for commercial and government missions. Collaborations with research institutions and space agencies facilitate space science and exploration missions. Additionally, partnerships with aerospace suppliers and manufacturers ensure the availability of high-quality components and materials.Collaborations with satellite operators and payload providers are essential for providing launch services for commercial and government missions. Partnerships with research institutions and space agencies drive scientific experiments and space exploration. Collaborations with aerospace suppliers and manufacturers ensure the availability of high-quality components and materials for Blue Origin’s products. Strategic partnerships play a crucial role in the company’s success and capabilities.Collaborations with satellite operators and payload providers for launch services, partnerships with research institutions and space agencies for space science and exploration missions, collaborations with aerospace suppliers and manufacturers for high-quality components and materials, strategic partnerships driving success and capabilities.
Key ResourcesBlue Origin’s key resources include its team of aerospace engineers and experts, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities for rocket engines and spacecraft, the New Shepard suborbital rocket, proprietary rocket engine technology (BE-3 and BE-4), its reputation for safety and reliability, and a commitment to advancing space exploration.A skilled team of aerospace engineers and experts drives innovation and product development. Modern manufacturing facilities enable the production of rocket engines and spacecraft. The New Shepard suborbital rocket serves as a flagship product. Proprietary rocket engine technology, BE-3 and BE-4, positions Blue Origin as an industry leader. The company’s reputation for safety and reliability reinforces customer trust. A commitment to advancing space exploration is a core resource.Skilled team of aerospace engineers and experts for innovation and product development, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities for rocket engines and spacecraft production, the New Shepard suborbital rocket as a flagship product, proprietary rocket engine technology (BE-3 and BE-4), reputation for safety and reliability, commitment to advancing space exploration.
Cost StructureBlue Origin incurs costs related to research and development (R&D) for the design and improvement of launch vehicles, rocket engines, and spacecraft. Manufacturing and production expenses cover the construction of aerospace products. Marketing and promotional costs support brand visibility and customer engagement. Employee salaries and benefits ensure a skilled workforce. Raw materials, components, and testing expenses are essential for product development. Compliance with safety and regulatory standards may lead to additional costs.Costs related to R&D drive product innovation and improvement. Manufacturing and production expenses cover the construction of aerospace products. Marketing and promotional costs promote brand visibility and customer engagement. Employee salaries and benefits support a skilled workforce. Expenses related to raw materials, components, and testing are necessary for product development. Compliance with safety and regulatory standards is crucial for the space industry.Costs related to research and development (R&D) for product innovation, manufacturing and production expenses, marketing and promotional costs, employee salaries and benefits, expenses for raw materials, components, and testing, compliance with safety and regulatory standards for the space industry.
Competitive AdvantageBlue Origin’s competitive advantage lies in its innovative approach to space travel, commitment to safety and reliability, and the development of reusable rocket technology. The company’s New Shepard suborbital rocket is a pioneering product in the sub-orbital tourism market. Its partnerships with research institutions and space agencies bolster its position in scientific and exploration missions. Proprietary rocket engine technology (BE-3 and BE-4) and a focus on advancing space exploration contribute to its competitiveness.Blue Origin’s competitive advantage is rooted in innovation, safety, and reliability. The New Shepard suborbital rocket sets it apart in the sub-orbital tourism market. Collaborations with research institutions and space agencies provide opportunities in scientific and exploration missions. Proprietary rocket engine technology positions Blue Origin as an industry leader. A commitment to advancing space exploration enhances its competitiveness.Innovative approach to space travel, commitment to safety and reliability, development of reusable rocket technology, pioneering product in the sub-orbital tourism market (New Shepard), collaborations with research institutions and space agencies, proprietary rocket engine technology (BE-3 and BE-4), commitment to advancing space exploration, competitiveness.

Blue Origin Story

Bezos started Blue Origin because he saw a future where millions of people would live and work in space to preserve the Earth.

For humanity to survive, in other words, Bezos believed that it was important to find alternative sources of materials and energy in space so that harmful industries could be moved off-planet.

Today, Blue Origin is one of a host of companies in the civil, commercial, and defense spaceflight industries such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Axiom.

Although the company provides rocket engines and related technology to clients, it is perhaps best known for its New Shepard rocket and spaceflight system for commercial passengers.

The first crewed mission with Bezos, his brother Mark, and two other individuals launched on July 20, 2021.

Two subsequent missions took place in 2021, with each astronaut experiencing around three minutes of zero gravity at an altitude of 340,000 feet.

Blue Origin ownership structure

Blue Origin is wholly owned by Jeff Bezos, with the Amazon founder stepping down from his role as that company’s CEO in February 2021 to devote more time to building rockets, among other things.

Bezos had become enamored with space as a child and had expressed an interest at 18 in building space hotels and amusement parks for millions of people that would orbit the Earth.

In 1999, he discussed starting a space company with American fiction writer Neal Stephenson after watching the rocketry-inspired film October Sky.

Blue Origin remained more or less silent for the first fifteen years of its operation as Bezos and his team worked to refine their propulsion systems and launch vehicles.

During this period, the only possible clue to the billionaire’s intentions was his acquisition of a 30,000-acre ranch in Texas, which would later serve as the company’s operational base.

While Bezos remains the sole owner of Blue Origin in 2022, the company’s CEO is Dr. Robert H. Smith – a former Honeywell Aerospace executive with a formal education in aerospace engineering and mathematics.

Key takeaways:

  • Blue Origin is an aerospace equipment manufacturer headquartered in Kent, Washington, and founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000. The company also sells sub-orbital spaceflight services.
  • Blue Origin is one of multiple companies in the civil, commercial, and defense spaceflight industries such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Axiom. Although it provides rocket engines and related technology to clients, Blue Origin is perhaps best known for its New Shepard rocket and spaceflight system for commercial passengers.
  • Jeff Bezos wholly owns blue Origin. The Amazon founder stepped down from his role as the eCommerce company’s CEO in February 2021 to devote more time to building rockets. Former Honeywell Aerospace executive Robert H. Smith is the company’s current CEO.

Key Highlights about Blue Origin:

  • Founding and Vision:
    • Blue Origin is an aerospace equipment manufacturer founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000.
    • Bezos started the company with a vision of a future where people live and work in space to alleviate pressure on Earth’s resources.
  • Space Exploration for Sustainability:
    • Bezos believed in the importance of finding alternative sources of materials and energy in space to move harmful industries off-planet and ensure humanity’s survival.
  • Activities and Industry Position:
    • Blue Origin operates in the civil, commercial, and defense spaceflight industries.
    • It is known for its New Shepard rocket and spaceflight system for commercial passengers, providing experiences of zero gravity.
  • Historic Crewed Missions:
    • The company’s first crewed mission launched on July 20, 2021, with Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, and two others on board.
    • Subsequent missions in 2021 offered astronauts around three minutes of zero gravity at an altitude of 340,000 feet.
  • Ownership Structure:
    • Blue Origin is entirely owned by Jeff Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021 to focus on ventures such as space exploration.
    • Bezos’ passion for space began in childhood, and he discussed starting a space company as early as 1999.
  • Early Years and Progress:
    • Blue Origin operated quietly for its first fifteen years, during which Bezos and his team refined propulsion systems and launch vehicles.
    • Bezos’ acquisition of a large ranch in Texas served as the operational base for Blue Origin.
  • Leadership and CEO:
    • As of 2022, Jeff Bezos remains the sole owner of Blue Origin.
    • The company’s CEO is Dr. Robert H. Smith, a former Honeywell Aerospace executive with expertise in aerospace engineering and mathematics.

Connected to Amazon Business Model

Amazon Business Model

amazon-business-model
Amazon has a diversified business model. In 2022 Amazon posted over $514 billion in revenues, while it posted a net loss of over $2.7 billion. Online stores contributed almost 43% of Amazon revenues. The remaining was generated by Third-party Seller Services, and Physical Stores. While  Amazon AWS, Subscription Services, and Advertising revenues play a significant role within Amazon as fast-growing segments.

Amazon Mission Statement

amazon-vision-statement-mission-statement (1)
Amazon’s mission statement is to “serve consumers through online and physical stores and focus on selection, price, and convenience.” Amazon’s vision statement is “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.” 

Customer Obsession

customer-obsession
In the Amazon Shareholders’ Letter for 2018, Jeff Bezos analyzed the Amazon business model, and it also focused on a few key lessons that Amazon as a company has learned over the years. These lessons are fundamental for any entrepreneur, of small or large organization to understand the pitfalls to avoid to run a successful company!

Amazon Revenues

amazon-revenue-model
Amazon has a business model with many moving parts. The e-commerce platform generated $220 billion in 2022, followed by third-party stores services which generated over $117 billion; Amazon AWS, which generated over $80 billion; Amazon advertising which generated almost $38 billion and Amazon Prime, which generated over $35 billion, and physical stores which generated almost $19 billion.

Amazon Cash Conversion

cash-conversion-cycle-amazon

Working Backwards

working-backwards
The Amazon Working Backwards Method is a product development methodology that advocates building a product based on customer needs. The Amazon Working Backwards Method gained traction after notable Amazon employee Ian McAllister shared the company’s product development approach on Quora. McAllister noted that the method seeks “to work backwards from the customer, rather than starting with an idea for a product and trying to bolt customers onto it.”

Amazon Flywheel

amazon-flywheel
The Amazon Flywheel or Amazon Virtuous Cycle is a strategy that leverages on customer experience to drive traffic to the platform and third-party sellers. That improves the selections of goods, and Amazon further improves its cost structure so it can decrease prices which spins the flywheel.

Jeff Bezos Day One

jeff-bezos-day-1
In the letter to shareholders in 2016, Jeff Bezos addressed a topic he had been thinking quite profoundly in the last decades as he led Amazon: Day 1. As Jeff Bezos put it “Day 2 is stasis. Followed by irrelevance. Followed by excruciating, painful decline. Followed by death. And that is why it is always Day 1.”

Read Also: Business Models.

Read next: 

Related Ownership Case Studies

Who Owns OpenAI

who-owns-openai
OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research laboratory that transitioned into a for-profit organization in 2019, which comprised an entity called OpenAI LP and the non-profit parent foundation OpenAI. The lab, which was founded in 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and various others, has a core focus on the development of friendly AI that benefits society as a whole. Yet now has primarily evolved as a capped-for-profit entity with an exclusive commercial license to Microsoft.

Who Owns Airbnb

who-owns-airbnb
Its co-founders primarily own Airbnb: Brian Chesky, with 76,407,686 Class B shares, which gives him 29.1% of ownership; Nathan Blecharczyk, with 232,306 Class A and 64,646,713 Class B, which give him 25.3%; and Joe Gebbia, which has 5,113,865 Class A and 58,023,452 Class B, which give him 22.9% ownership.

Who Owns Google

who-owns-google
Google is primarily owned by its founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who have more than 51% voting power. Other individual shareholders comprise John Doerr (1.5%), a venture capitalist and early investor in Google, and CEO, Sundar Pichai. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has 4.2% voting power. The most prominent institutional shareholders are mutual funds BlackRock and The Vanguard Group, with 2.7% and 3.1%, respectively.

Who Owns Facebook

who-owns-facebook
Mark Zuckerberg is the largest shareholder in the company. Zuckerberg retains ownership and control of the company. Like Google, Facebook has issued two common stocks, Class A and Class B. The holders of Class B common stocks are entitled to ten votes per share, and holders of our Class A common stocks are entitled to one vote per share. Mark Zuckerberg has a voting power of 56.9%; he’s the primary decision-maker. Other individual investors comprise Sheryl Sandberg, Christopher Cox, Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, Dustin Moskovitz, and Eduardo Saverin.

Who Owns Apple

who-owns-apple
As of 2023, major Apple shareholders comprised Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway with 5.73% of the company’s stock (valued at over $130 billion). Followed by other individual shareholders like Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, with about 3.3 million shares, Artur Levinson, chairman of Apple, with over 4.5 million shares, and others.

Who Owns Amazon

who-owns-amazon
With 64,588,418 shares, Jeff Bezos is the major individual investor. Owning 12.7% of the company. Other top individual investors comprise Amazon’s CEO Andy Jessy, with 94,729 shares. Top institutional investors include mutual funds like The Vanguard Group (6.6% ownership) and BlackRock (5.7% ownership). 

Who Owns Microsoft

who-owns-microsoft
Major shareholders comprise co-founder Bill Gates, who stepped down from the company’s board in 2020, which is why these shares are no longer publicly reported. In 2019, Gates still owned a stake of 103 million stocks, which accounted for 1.34% of the company’s ownership (worth over $23 billion in January 2023). Other individual shareholders comprise Satya Nadella, the company’s CEO, Brad Smith (former president), Jean-Philippe Courtois (EVP), and Amy Hood (former CFO).

Who Owns Tesla

who-owns-tesla
By 2022, most of Tesla’s shares are still owned by Elon Musk, among the company’s co-founders and the CEO. Elon Musk is the top individual investor, with a 23.5% stake in the company, equivalent to over 244 million shares. Musk is followed by Lawrence Ellison (founder of Oracle), with a 1.5% company stake. Ellison also sits on Tesla’s board. And Antonio Gracias, among the company’s first investors, has over 1.6 million shares. Other institutional investors and mutual funds like The Vanguard Group (6%), Blackrock (5.1%), and Capital Ventures International also have a good chunk of the company’s stocks.

Who Owns PayPal

who-owns-paypal
PayPal was first founded in 1998; it was called Confinity (among its founders was Peter Thiel); later, it merged with X.com, its major competitor, founded by Elon Musk (which would become known for other companies like Tesla and SpaceX). From this merger, PayPal was born. In 2002, PayPal was bought by eBay for $1.5 billion. eBay spun off PayPal in 2015, which would be listed as an independent entity. Today PayPal owns brands like Braintree, Venmo, Xoom, and iZettle.

Who Owns Netflix

who-owns-netflix
Netflix’s largest individual shareholder is Reed Hastings, co-founder, and former CEO of the company, now Chairperson of Netflix, with a 1.7% stake, valued at over $2.4 billion in February 2023. Other significant individual shareholders comprise Jay C. Hoag, the company’s directors since 1999, and Ted Sarandos, former chief content officer and now Chief Executive Officer of Netflix. Major institutional shareholders comprise The Vanguard Group (7.55% ownership), BlackRock (6.58% ownership), and Capital Research Global Investments (5.84% ownership).

Who Owns TikTok

who-owns-tiktok
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese internet technology company owning several content platforms worldwide (Douyin, Toutiao, Xigua Video, Helo, Lark, Babe). Bytedance passed the $300 billion private market valuation by 2022, making around $58 billion in revenue in 2022, over $4 billion from TikTok.

Who Owns YouTube

who-owns-youtube
Acquired by Google, in 2006, for $1.65 billion, YouTube is now worth many times over. In 2022, YouTube generated over $29 billion in revenue from advertising alone. YouTube is part of Google (now named Alphabet), and as such, it is owned by main Google’s Alphabet shareholders and is one of the fastest-growing segments for the company.

Who Owns Twitter

who-owns-twitter
As of April 25th, 2022, Elon Musk tried to take over Twitter. Musk tried to purchase the company at $54.20 per share, or about $44 billion. The deal finally closed by October 27th, 2022, and Elon Musk became the largest shareholder.

Who Owns Spotify

who-owns-spotify
The multi-billion music streaming company Spotify is primarily owned by its founders, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. As of 2023, Daniel Ek has 16.5% ownership of ordinary shares and 31.7% of the voting power. Martin Lorentzon has 10.9% of ordinary shares and 42.6% of the voting power. Another key shareholder is Baillie Gifford & Co, a Scottish-based money management firm, followed by Morgan Stanley, T. Rowe Price, and Tencent.

Who Owns Nvidia

who-owns-nvidia
The top individual shareholder of NVIDIA is Jen-Hsun Huang, founder, and CEO of the company, with 87,521,722 shares giving him 3.50% ownership. Followed by Mark A. Stevens, venture capitalist and a partner at S-Cubed Capital, who was part of the NVIDIA board in 2008 and previously served as a director from 1993 to 2006, with 6,258,803 shares. Institutional investors comprise The Vanguard Group, Inc, with 196,015,550, owning 7.83%. BlackRock, Inc., with 177,858,484, owns 7.10%. And FMR LLC (Fidelity Institutional Asset Management) with 158,039,922, owning 6.31%.

Who Owns Snapchat

who-owns-snapchat
Evan Spiegel and Robert Cornelius Murphy are the co-founders and, respectively, CEO and CTO of Snapchat. Evan Spiegel owns 3% of Class A stocks, 25.7% of Class B stocks, and 53.4% of Class C stocks for a 53.2% voting power, whereas Robert Murphy owns 6% of Class A stocks, 25.7% of Class B stocks, and 46.6% of Class C stocks for a 46.6% voting power. Snapchat runs an advertising-based business model.

Who Owns Uber

who-owns-uber
Uber’s principal individual shareholders comprise Yasir Al-Rumayyan (3.73%), the Governor of the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Dara Khosrowshahi, the founder and CEO of Uber. There is Morgan Stanley, with 5.12% ownership among the top institutional investors.

Who Owns Shopify

who-owns-shopify
The founder and CEO of Shopify, Tobias Lütke, owned or controlled 7,891,852 Class B multiple voting shares and 5,250 Class A subordinate voting shares, representing approximately 33.8% of the aggregate voting power attached to all of the Company’s outstanding voting shares. Another key stakeholder is John H. Phillips, an angel investor who placed an early bet on Shopify.

Who Owns Roblox

who-owns-roblox
Roblox is owned by David Baszucki and Gregory Baszucki, with a 2.3% and 2.6% stake, respectively. Anthony lee, managing partner at Altos Ventures, with a 15.3% stake.

Who Owns Twitch

who-owns-twitch
In 2014, Twitch was bought by Amazon for $970 million. Therefore Twitch is part of Amazon, comprising other subsidiaries bought over the years, like Audible, Whole Foods, and Zappos (in total, Amazon has 12 subsidiaries). Therefore, as of 2020, Twitch is a multi-billion dollar company, making money primarily via advertising through its video streaming platform (creators use Twitch today across many other verticals).

Who Owns Zoom

who-owns-zoom
Zoom’s main private shareholders comprise Eric S. Yuan, a Chinese-American billionaire businessman that founded Zoom. Dan Scheinman, board member and angel investor in Zoom since the start, and Santiago Subotovsky, also an early investor in Zoom. Zoom follows a freeterprise business model where free accounts are channeled into enterprise customers.

Read More:

About The Author

Scroll to Top
FourWeekMBA