Last checked May 9, 2026
Costco Wholesale Corporationcostco.comCostco Wholesale Corporation is not currently listed as private-equity-owned.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Costco is not controlled by a private equity firm; it is a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: COST).
Notes
- Costco’s FY2025 Form 10-K states the company began operations in 1983 in Seattle, Washington, and that its common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “COST,” indicating it is publicly traded rather than private-equity-controlled.
Sources
- Costco Wholesale Corporation — Annual Report (Form 10-K) for fiscal year ended August 31, 2025
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) EDGAR - Ownership/public-company status (Nasdaq: COST) and founding/operations began in 1983 in Seattle, Washington
- About Costco
Costco - Founders (Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman) and first Seattle warehouse in 1983
- File: Costco Wholesale logo 2010-10-26.svg
Wikimedia Commons - Current Costco Wholesale logo file and direct original-file location
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Sinegal
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Brotman
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACostco_Wholesale.svg
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.costco.com/f/-/connection-cover-expanding-frontiers-september-2023
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.nndb.com/company/610/000053451/
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/08/01/news/costco-co-founder-jeff-brotman-dies
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.costco.com/about.html?cjevent=5d0a8deb160a11ee835ce93b0a1eba23&qid=5d0a8deb160a11ee835ce93b0a1eba23
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/history-costco
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://investor.costco.com/company-profile/default.aspx
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
Ownership FAQ
Is Costco Wholesale Corporation owned by private equity?
No. Costco Wholesale Corporation does not currently appear to be private-equity-owned.
Who owns Costco Wholesale Corporation?
Public company (Costco Wholesale Corporation); its common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “COST.”
When was Costco Wholesale Corporation last checked?
This page was last checked on May 9, 2026.