Airbnb vs Booking Holdings: Founders, CEOs and History
Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, Joe Gebbia and is led by Brian Chesky. Booking Holdings was founded in 1997 by Jay S. Walker and is led by Glenn Fogel.
Company facts
Airbnb
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California
- Current CEO
- Brian Chesky
- Employees
- 8,200
Booking Holdings
- Founded
- 1997
- Headquarters
- Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
- Current CEO
- Glenn Fogel
- Employees
- 24,300
Founders
Airbnb
Brian Chesky
Brian Chesky co-founded Airbnb and has served as chief executive officer since the company's founding. He led Airbnb through its December 2020 public offering and remained CEO in the FY2025 Form 10-K.
Nathan Blecharczyk
Nathan Blecharczyk co-founded Airbnb and built the early platform. He remained an Airbnb director when the company filed its FY2025 Form 10-K.
Joe Gebbia
Joe Gebbia co-founded Airbnb and contributed to its early product and design. He remained an Airbnb director when the company filed its FY2025 Form 10-K.
Booking Holdings
Jay S. Walker
Jay S. Walker founded Priceline.com and launched it in April 1998 with the patented 'Name Your Own Price' system for airline tickets, later adding hotels, rental cars and mortgages.
CEOs and their tenures
Airbnb
- Brian Chesky2008–present
Co-Founder and CEO
Brian Chesky co-founded Airbnb and has served as CEO since its founding.
Source - Joe Gebbia2008–2022
Co-Founder and product leader
Joe Gebbia co-founded Airbnb and worked on its early product and design.
Source
Booking Holdings
- Jeffery H. Boyd2002–2013
Chief Executive Officer (2002 to 2013; interim CEO in 2016)
Boyd led Priceline from near-failure to one of the largest internet companies. The KAYAK and OpenTable deals were agreed during his tenure as CEO and chairman.
Source - Darren Huston2014–2016
Chief Executive Officer
Huston resigned in April 2016 after the board found he had broken company policy through a personal relationship with an employee; Jeffery Boyd became interim CEO until Glenn Fogel took over in January 2017.
Source - Glenn Fogel2017–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Under Fogel revenue rose from $12.7 billion in 2017 to $26.9 billion in 2025, and room nights passed 1.2 billion a year. He also led Booking through the EU's 2023 veto of the Etraveli deal, which the General Court upheld in September 2026.
Source
Timeline: Airbnb and Booking Holdings side by side
1997Booking Holdings
Priceline.com founded
Jay S. Walker set up Priceline.com in Norwalk, Connecticut, out of his Walker Digital lab; the 'Name Your Own Price' airline ticket service launched in April 1998.
1999Booking Holdings
Nasdaq IPO
Priceline listed on Nasdaq in March 1999 at the height of the dot-com boom; its first-day market value was close to $10 billion.
2000Booking Holdings
Dot-com crash and restructuring
Priceline's shares lost more than 95% of their value, the WebHouse Club grocery and petrol bidding venture shut down, and the company cut staff and narrowed its focus to travel.
2004Booking Holdings
Active Hotels acquired
Priceline bought UK-based Active Hotels for about $161 million, its first major move into European hotel bookings.
2005Booking Holdings
Bookings BV acquired
Priceline bought Amsterdam-based Bookings BV for about $133 million and merged it with Active Hotels under the Booking.com name.
2007Airbnb
First Airbed & Breakfast guests
Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia hosted three guests in their San Francisco home in October 2007.
2007Booking Holdings
Agoda acquired
Priceline added Asian hotel booking site Agoda for about $16 million plus earn-outs.
2008Airbnb
Formal launch and DNC bookings
Airbed & Breakfast formally launched in 2008 and recorded 80 bookings around the Democratic National Convention.
2009Airbnb
Name changed to Airbnb
The company changed its name from Airbed & Breakfast to Airbnb and expanded beyond rooms to apartments, whole homes, and vacation rentals.
2011Airbnb
International expansion
Airbnb began international expansion by opening a German office in June 2011.
2013Booking Holdings
KAYAK acquired
The company bought metasearch site KAYAK for about $1.8 billion in cash and stock.
2014Booking Holdings
OpenTable deal and Darren Huston as CEO
Darren Huston became CEO in January 2014, and the company, by then called The Priceline Group, bought OpenTable for $2.6 billion.
2016Airbnb
Experiences launched
Airbnb launched Experiences in November 2016, adding host-led activities to the marketplace.
2017Airbnb
Luxury Retreats acquired
Airbnb acquired Luxury Retreats, adding more than 4,000 luxury homes in 100 destinations and concierge capabilities.
2017Booking Holdings
Glenn Fogel becomes CEO
Glenn Fogel, who joined in 2000 and led the group's acquisitions, became CEO on 1 January 2017 after Jeffery Boyd's interim spell.
2018Booking Holdings
Renamed Booking Holdings
The Priceline Group became Booking Holdings in February 2018 and changed its ticker to BKNG, reflecting that Booking.com earned most of the group's revenue.
2019Airbnb
HotelTonight acquired
Airbnb agreed to acquire HotelTonight to add last-minute booking and boutique and independent hotel supply.
2020Airbnb
Initial public offering
Airbnb priced its initial public offering at $68 per share and began Nasdaq trading under ABNB in December 2020.
2020Booking Holdings
Pandemic collapse
Revenue fell 55% to $6.8 billion as COVID-19 halted travel, and net income dropped to $59 million.
2022Airbnb
Categories, Split Stays, and AirCover for guests
Airbnb's 2022 Summer Release introduced Categories, Split Stays, and AirCover for guests.
2023Airbnb
Gameplanner.AI acquired
Airbnb acquired Gameplanner.AI to add artificial-intelligence expertise to product development.
2023Booking Holdings
1 billion room nights and the Etraveli veto
Room nights passed 1 billion for the first time (1.049 billion), and in September the European Commission blocked Booking's ~$1.84 billion (€1.63 billion) purchase of flight seller Etraveli.
2024Booking Holdings
First dividend and DMA gatekeeper status
Booking paid its first quarterly dividend, $8.75 a share, and in May the European Commission designated Booking.com a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act.
2025Airbnb
Services and rebuilt Experiences launched
Airbnb launched Services, rebuilt Experiences, and an updated app in May 2025.
2025Booking Holdings
Record $26.9 billion revenue
Revenue rose 13% to $26.9 billion, gross bookings reached $186.1 billion and room nights 1.235 billion.
2026Airbnb
Trip services and boutique hotels expanded
Airbnb's May 2026 release added trip-service partners, boutique hotels in selected destinations, and AI-assisted app features.
2026Booking Holdings
Stock split, Etraveli ruling and Lola launch
A 25-for-1 stock split took effect in April, the EU General Court upheld the Etraveli veto on 9 September, and KAYAK's co-founders launched the Booking-owned AI travel assistant Lola on 29 September.
Acquisitions
Airbnb
- Gameplanner.AI2023Undisclosed
- HotelTonight2019Undisclosed
- Urbandoor2019Undisclosed
- Luxury Retreats2017Undisclosed
Booking Holdings
- Getaroom2021$1.2B
- Momondo Group2017$550M
- OpenTable2014$2.6B
- KAYAK Software2013$1.8B
- Agoda2007$16M
- Booking.com (Bookings BV)2005$133M
Questions about Airbnb vs Booking Holdings
Who is the CEO of Airbnb, Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc.?
Airbnb, Inc. is led by Brian Chesky and Booking Holdings Inc. is led by Glenn Fogel. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Airbnb, Inc. founded vs Booking Holdings Inc.?
Booking Holdings Inc. was founded in 1997 — 11 years before Airbnb, Inc., which was founded in 2008. Booking Holdings Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Airbnb, Inc..
How many employees does Airbnb, Inc. have compared to Booking Holdings Inc.?
Airbnb, Inc. employs approximately 8,200 people, while Booking Holdings Inc. employs approximately 24,300. Booking Holdings Inc. has the larger workforce at 24,300 employees, compared to Airbnb, Inc.'s 8,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Airbnb, Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc. headquartered?
Both Airbnb, Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Airbnb, Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc.?
Airbnb, Inc. was founded by Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, Joe Gebbia. Booking Holdings Inc. was founded by Jay S. Walker.
Which company has a longer operating history — Airbnb, Inc. or Booking Holdings Inc.?
Booking Holdings Inc. has been operating for approximately 29 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Airbnb, Inc. has been in operation for around 18 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Airbnb vs Booking Holdings overview