Microsoft vs United Airlines: Founders, CEOs and History
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates, Paul Allen and is led by Satya Nadella. United Airlines was founded in 1926 by Walter T. Varney, William Boeing and is led by Scott Kirby.
Company facts
Microsoft
- Founded
- 1975
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington, United States
- Current CEO
- Satya Nadella
- Employees
- 223,000
United Airlines
- Founded
- 1926
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois
- Current CEO
- Scott Kirby
- Employees
- 113,200
Founders
Microsoft
Bill Gates
Microsoft was founded in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, childhood friends from Seattle who had spent their teenage years finding ways to get free time on mainframe computers.
Paul Allen
Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft and was crucial to its earliest technical and strategic decisions. He helped develop Altair BASIC, gave the company its original name, and participated in the operating-system opportunity that led to MS-DOS.
United Airlines
Walter T. Varney
Walter T. Varney founded Varney Air Lines, which won Contract Air Mail Route 5 and flew its first route between Pasco, Washington, and Elko, Nevada, via Boise, on April 6, 1926.
William Boeing
William Boeing formed Boeing Air Transport in 1927 to fly the Chicago-San Francisco air mail route and then, with Frederick Rentschler, created United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1929.
CEOs and their tenures
Microsoft
- Bill Gates1975–2000
Co-founder and CEO
Gates built Microsoft's licensing model: software sold to many hardware makers rather than tied to one.
Source - Steve Ballmer2000–2014
CEO
Ballmer grew revenue from about $23 billion in FY2000 to about $78 billion in FY2013 and built the enterprise server and sales business that Azure later scaled on.
Source - Satya Nadella2014–present
Chairman and CEO
Nadella made Azure and Microsoft 365 the company's core, opened Microsoft to Linux and open source, and positioned it early in generative AI through OpenAI.
Source
United Airlines
- Glenn F. Tilton2002–2010
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
United emerged in 2006 and he agreed the merger with Continental in 2010.
Source - Jeff Smisek2010–2015
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
He resigned in September 2015 during a federal investigation into dealings with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Source - Oscar Munoz2015–2020
Former CEO
Munoz handed over to Scott Kirby in May 2020 and served as executive chairman for a transition period.
Source - J. Scott Kirby2020–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Kirby, United's revenue rose from $15.4 billion in 2020 to a record $59.1 billion in 2025, with premium cabins and MileagePlus as the main growth drivers.
Source
Timeline: Microsoft and United Airlines side by side
1926United Airlines
Varney Air Lines begins
United traces its roots to Varney Air Lines and early air mail service.
1931United Airlines
United Air Lines organized
United Air Lines was formed to manage airline subsidiaries tied to United Aircraft and Transport.
1934United Airlines
Separation From Boeing
United Air Lines became an independent company in 1934 when the Air Mail Act forced the break-up of United Aircraft and Transport.
1975Microsoft
Microsoft Founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft after recognizing that the Altair 8800 needed usable programming software. Their first product, Altair BASIC, turned a hobbyist computer kit into a programmable platform.
1981Microsoft
MS-DOS Ships With IBM PC
IBM introduced its personal computer with MS-DOS 1.0 and other Microsoft products. The milestone mattered because Microsoft's operating-system work moved from a small software supplier's project into the emerging corporate PC standard.
1985Microsoft
Windows Launch
The release of Windows 1.0 began Microsoft's long move from command-line operating systems to graphical personal computing. The first version was not an instant blockbuster, but it gave Microsoft a user-interface path that could evolve with PC hardware.
1986Microsoft
Microsoft IPO
Microsoft went public on the Nasdaq in March 1986.
1990Microsoft
Office Suite Release
The bundling of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into Microsoft Office created a productivity suite that became central to business work. The bundle simplified enterprise purchasing and made file compatibility a competitive weapon.
1995Microsoft
Windows 95 Released
Microsoft released Windows 95 in August 1995.
1997United Airlines
Star Alliance founded
United became one of the founding members of Star Alliance.
1998Microsoft
U.S. Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Microsoft of using Windows power to suppress browser competition. The case mattered because it placed Microsoft's platform tactics under public and legal scrutiny at the height of its PC strong position.
2002United Airlines
Chapter 11 Filing
United filed for Chapter 11 protection in December 2002 and emerged in February 2006.
2010Microsoft
Azure Commercial Launch
Azure gave Microsoft a way to compete in cloud infrastructure as enterprise customers began shifting workloads away from company-owned servers.
2010United Airlines
Continental merger closes
UAL Corporation completed the Continental merger, later operating under the United brand.
2014Microsoft
Satya Nadella CEO
Satya Nadella became CEO and moved Microsoft away from a strategy that forced every product to serve Windows. He prioritized Azure, Microsoft 365, open source, Linux support, cross-platform software, and a more collaborative developer posture.
2015United Airlines
Oscar Munoz becomes CEO
Oscar Munoz became chief executive of United in September 2015.
2016Microsoft
LinkedIn Acquisition
Microsoft agreed to acquire LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion in cash. The deal mattered because it added a professional identity network to a company already strong in Office, Dynamics, cloud services, recruiting tools, advertising, and enterprise sales.
2017United Airlines
Passenger Removal Incident
A passenger was dragged off a United Express flight in Chicago in April 2017, prompting changes to overbooking policy.
2018Microsoft
GitHub Acquisition
Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion in stock, reversing years of developer skepticism toward the company. The acquisition placed Microsoft inside the daily workflow of software developers across languages, clouds, and operating systems.
2020United Airlines
Scott Kirby becomes CEO
Scott Kirby succeeded Oscar Munoz as CEO in May 2020.
2023Microsoft
AI Leadership
Microsoft's expanded OpenAI partnership and Copilot product rollout placed the company at the center of enterprise generative AI adoption.
2023Microsoft
Activision Blizzard Acquisition Closes
Microsoft completed the Activision Blizzard acquisition after intense regulatory review. The deal added Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Candy Crush, and other franchises to Microsoft Gaming.
2025United Airlines
Revenue reaches record level
United reported record 2025 total operating revenue of $59.1 billion.
2026United Airlines
Q2 2026 revenue up 16%
United reported Q2 2026 revenue of $17.7 billion and raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $9-$11 despite nearly $6 billion in added fuel costs.
Acquisitions
Microsoft
- Activision Blizzard2023$68.7B
- Nuance Communications2022$19.7B
- ZeniMax Media2021$7.5B
- GitHub2018$7.5B
- LinkedIn2016$26.2B
Questions about Microsoft vs United Airlines
Who is the CEO of Microsoft Corporation and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Microsoft Corporation is led by Satya Nadella and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is led by Scott Kirby. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Microsoft Corporation founded vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1926 — 49 years before Microsoft Corporation, which was founded in 1975. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Microsoft Corporation.
How many employees does Microsoft Corporation have compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Microsoft Corporation employs approximately 223,000 people, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. employs approximately 113,200. Microsoft Corporation has the larger workforce at 223,000 employees, compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s 113,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Microsoft Corporation and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. headquartered?
Both Microsoft Corporation and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Microsoft Corporation and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Microsoft Corporation was founded by Bill Gates, Paul Allen. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. was founded by Walter T. Varney, William Boeing.
Which company has a longer operating history — Microsoft Corporation or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has been operating for approximately 100 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Microsoft Corporation has been in operation for around 51 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 Microsoft vs United Airlines overview