Airbnb

In the nearly two decades since Airbnb was founded, the company has cemented itself as a giant in the hospitality industry and reshaped real estate markets the world over. In 2023 alone, Airbnb generated more than $85 billion in economic impact across the U.S., despite a legislative crackdown in New York City—previously one of the company’s five most active markets—and expanded to more than 4,000 new cities and towns across the globe. The growth comes amidst updates to its platform: in late 2022, the company rolled out a price-transparency feature allowing users to more easily see the total cost of a listing, inclusive of all taxes and fees, and has supported legislation that would require others to do the same. Meanwhile, areas whose real estate markets were transformed by Airbnb, such as Maui, Hawaii, are considering legislation like New York City’s.