The Joy of Travel

In 1996, online travel agency Expedia began life as a division of Microsoft, where Rich Barton, a product manager and frustrated business traveler, wanted to allow individuals to research and book their own travel online. The unit was spun off as Expedia, Inc. in 1999, and nearly 20 years and a series of major acquisitions later, it has just undergone a corporate rebrand to Expedia Group, Inc.