McDonald’s is a publicly traded company that is primarily owned by institutional investors holding large blocks of shares. The ten largest shareholders as of March 31, 2025, are:
- The Vanguard Group (9.85%)
- BlackRock (7.35%)
- State Street Corporation (4.83%)
- JP Morgan Chase (5.25%)
- Geode Capital Management (2.31%)
- Bank of America (2.08%)
- Morgan Stanley (2.46%)
- Wellington Management Company (1.66%)
- Norges Bank (1.31%)
- Other shareholders collectively own the remaining 66.17%
Most ownership lies with these institutional investors, with individuals owning only a small fraction (approximately 0.18%) of outstanding shares[1][2][3]. As a corporation, McDonald’s is led by a Board of Directors, with Christopher Kempczinski serving as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2024[5][7].
Regarding its business model, McDonald’s Corporation owns and operates some restaurants directly, but the vast majority are franchised. Franchisees run their own individual businesses using the McDonald’s brand and systems, paying rental and royalty fees to the corporation[1][6][8]. The corporation also owns significant real estate, including the land beneath many of its restaurants, which further contributes to its revenues[1].
References
- [1] McDonald’s – Wikipedia
- [2] Who Owns McDonald’s? – Business Model Analyst
- [3] Company McDonald’s Corporation – MarketScreener
- [5] McDonald’s Corporation – SEC.gov
- [6] Franchising Overview – McDonald’s Corporation
- [7] 2025 Proxy Statement – McDonald’s Corporation [PDF]
- [8] Fast Food Franchise Opportunity – McDonald’s
Leave a Reply