Think LLCs are just for small businesses? Think again.
Google, Amazon, Subway — household names you’d expect to be giant corporations. But behind the scenes, many of them are actually structured as LLCs (Limited Liability Companies).
Why? Because LLCs give billion-dollar brands the same things they give startups: liability protection, tax flexibility, and room to grow.
In this guide, you’ll see 22 famous LLC examples — from tech giants to automakers — and what their choice of structure means for entrepreneurs like you.
An LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is a business structure that protects owners from personal liability — much like a corporation — while giving them the tax flexibility of a partnership or sole proprietorship.
In plain terms: if the business is sued or goes into debt, the owners’ personal assets are shielded.
This blend of protection and flexibility makes LLCs the most popular business structure in the U.S. Startups use them for simplicity, while billion-dollar firms use them to manage risk, run subsidiaries, and adapt quickly in competitive markets.
Many companies choose the LLC model because it offers flexibility, liability protection, and tax advantages that traditional corporations often can’t.
Examples in action: In 2017, Alphabet converted Google from “Google Inc.” to Google LLC to streamline its reorganization and align with other subsidiaries like YouTube LLC. In the automotive world, companies such as General Motors LLC and Mercedes-Benz USA LLC use the structure to manage their U.S. operations with greater agility and less bureaucratic overhead.
When you think of Silicon Valley titans, you probably imagine slick headquarters, sky-high valuations, and complex corporate structures. What you might not expect is that many of these tech giants are actually LLCs. The LLC model gives them the freedom to innovate quickly, manage sprawling subsidiaries, and protect themselves from legal risks — all while keeping taxation flexible.
In 2017, Alphabet converted Google from “Google Inc.” to Google LLC as part of a corporate restructuring. The move gave Alphabet more flexibility in managing subsidiaries and aligned Google’s legal structure with other Alphabet-owned businesses. It’s a reminder that even the world’s most valuable brands see the LLC as a modern, efficient framework.
YouTube has been an LLC subsidiary of Google since its acquisition in 2006. By keeping YouTube as an LLC rather than folding it directly into Google’s corporate entity, Alphabet can manage liability and finances separately. This structure also gives YouTube operational independence while staying under Alphabet’s umbrella.
When Facebook (now Meta) acquired Instagram, it was set up as Instagram, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. For Meta, keeping Instagram as a separate LLC made it easier to manage intellectual property, brand operations, and liability without entangling it directly with Facebook’s core business.
Similar to Instagram, WhatsApp operates as WhatsApp LLC, also a Delaware entity. This structure lets Meta treat WhatsApp as a distinct business line, limiting liability risks while giving flexibility in how profits are recognized and reinvested.
The company behind ChatGPT, OpenAI, is formally organized as OpenAI, L.L.C., headquartered in San Francisco. As a research-driven company with multiple investors and partnerships, the LLC structure allows OpenAI to combine nonprofit oversight (through its nonprofit parent) with for-profit operations in a way that a rigid corporate model couldn’t.
It’s not just Silicon Valley — some of the world’s most recognizable retail and food chains also rely on the LLC model. For these companies, LLCs simplify franchise management, protect the parent company from store-level liabilities, and create tax efficiencies across thousands of outlets.
While “Amazon Inc.” is the name most people assume, many of Amazon’s retail operations actually run under Amazon.com Services LLC. This LLC handles core logistics, warehousing, and customer services, giving Amazon flexibility to manage its massive infrastructure while insulating risk.
Famous for its customer service, Zappos operates as Zappos.com LLC, a Delaware foreign limited liability company. After being acquired by Amazon, Zappos retained its LLC structure, allowing it to preserve its distinct culture and brand identity while benefiting from Amazon’s resources.
Behind the coffee cups and crullers, Dunkin’ runs its global franchise system as Dunkin’ Donuts LLC. The LLC structure makes it easier to oversee thousands of franchises, reduce corporate complexity, and expand internationally without putting the entire parent company at risk.
Subway is legally operated by Doctor’s Associates LLC, a Florida-based entity. The quirky name comes from the company’s original founders (one of whom was studying to be a doctor). As a global franchise powerhouse, Subway benefits from the LLC structure’s simplicity in licensing, royalties, and franchise agreements.
The entertainment industry is built on intellectual property — movies, music, games, and streaming platforms. For these companies, the LLC model offers a powerful way to manage licensing, protect assets, and spin off creative projects without exposing the entire parent corporation to risk.
The legendary studio behind Star Wars is formally registered as Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, keeping it as an LLC made it easier to manage valuable IP separately, while enjoying liability protection and operational independence.
Streaming giant Hulu is organized as Hulu LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. Its LLC structure was especially important when multiple owners — including Disney, NBCUniversal, and Fox — shared stakes, since it allowed flexibility in governance and profit distribution.
The popular internet radio service Pandora converted to Pandora Media LLC after its acquisition by SiriusXM. The LLC structure helped streamline the merger and provided a clean way to integrate Pandora’s assets while maintaining separate liability.
Best known for blockbuster video game franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Bethesda Softworks LLC is a Delaware limited liability company under ZeniMax Media (and now Microsoft). The LLC model makes it easier to manage publishing rights and development studios across multiple titles and subsidiaries.
Heavy industries and automakers deal with complex supply chains, strict regulations, and high liability risks. For them, the LLC model is a way to isolate business units, protect parent companies, and simplify U.S. operations. From carmakers to energy giants, these household names show how flexible the structure can be.
After filing for bankruptcy in 2009, GM reemerged as General Motors LLC, a Delaware entity. The LLC framework allowed it to restructure quickly, shed old liabilities, and continue operating as one of the world’s largest automakers.
GM’s connected-car division, OnStar, is organized as OnStar LLC. By keeping it separate, GM can manage the risks of new technology and customer data independently of its core car manufacturing business.
The American arm of Mercedes-Benz operates as Mercedes-Benz USA LLC. This setup lets the German parent company manage its U.S. sales and compliance under a local LLC, insulating the global brand from potential U.S.-specific liabilities.
BMW runs its U.S. operations through BMW of North America LLC, another Delaware entity. Like Mercedes, the LLC gives BMW flexibility in handling American sales, service, and regulation without tying them directly to its German corporate parent.
Chrysler became Chrysler Group LLC after its 2009 bailout and later rebranded as FCA US LLC under Fiat Chrysler. The LLC structure was critical to restructuring the struggling automaker while protecting its new owners.
A leader in nuclear energy, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is a Delaware LLC. The company’s structure makes it easier to manage partnerships, regulatory compliance, and risk in one of the most heavily regulated industries on earth.
Hertz, the rental car giant, operates through Hertz Vehicles LLC for its fleet. This structure helps it manage liability tied to millions of rentals, while separating vehicle ownership from its parent company’s broader financial operations.
Big tech meets finance here: IBM Credit LLC provides financing solutions for IBM’s customers. As an LLC, IBM can keep this financial services arm separate from its technology operations, limiting risk and simplifying compliance.
The brewer behind Budweiser and dozens of global beer brands is legally organized as Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC. The LLC model supports its complex U.S. operations and helps shield its global parent, AB InBev, from domestic liabilities.
If global brands trust LLCs, small businesses should too. The very reasons giants like Google, Amazon, and Mercedes-Benz operate as LLCs are the same reasons entrepreneurs use them: liability protection, tax flexibility, and credibility in the eyes of partners and customers.
For a small business owner, an LLC creates a shield between personal assets and business risks. It also adds legitimacy — contracts, suppliers, and investors take you more seriously when you operate under a U.S. LLC. Perhaps most importantly, it unlocks access to tools like U.S. business banking and Stripe, which are often unavailable to sole proprietors or foreign entities.
Take non-U.S. founders as an example: by setting up a U.S. LLC, they can sell globally, get paid in U.S. dollars, and manage money through U.S. bank accounts — just like the big brands do.
Forming a U.S. LLC is simpler than most people think. Here are the key steps:
For non-U.S. residents, these steps can be hard to handle alone — especially the banking part. That’s where expert help makes the difference. StartFleet helps non-U.S. residents register a U.S. LLC remotely and open a U.S. business bank account, so you can focus on growing your business instead of battling paperwork.
LLCs aren’t just for small businesses — they’re the backbone of global giants like Google, Amazon, and Mercedes-Benz. From tech startups to automakers, the world’s most recognizable brands rely on the LLC model to protect assets, manage risk, and keep operations flexible.
That flexibility is the real secret.
An LLC can be as simple as a single-member freelance business or as complex as the legal wrapper for billion-dollar subsidiaries. It’s this adaptability that explains why the LLC dominates modern business across industries.
The question isn’t whether an LLC works — clearly, it does.
The real question is whether forming your own U.S. LLC could unlock the same doors: credibility with partners, access to global payment processors, and the stability to grow beyond borders. For many entrepreneurs, that’s the first step toward building something much bigger.
StartFleet helps you with your US Company formation. Apart from helping you to register a US company we offer a lot more:
Building an online business is a lonely endeavor.
Join our newsletter to get stories of successful global entrepreneurs on how they build their online business.
