Founded by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff in March 1999, Salesforce grew quickly, making its initial public offering in 2004.

[5] Salesforce was founded on March 8, 1999 by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff, together with Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company.

[8] Two of Salesforce's earliest investors were Larry Ellison, the co-founder and first CEO of Oracle, and Halsey Minor, the founder of CNET.

[7] Salesforce was severely affected by the dot-com bubble bursting at the beginning of the new millennium, resulting in the company laying off 20% of its workforce.

Salesforce also gained notability during this period for its "the end of software" tagline and marketing campaign, and even hired actors to hold up signs with its slogan outside a Siebel Systems conference.

[12][13] In 2006, Salesforce launched Idea Exchange, a platform that allows customers to connect with company product managers.

[18][19] It reportedly acquired a 20-year license to be the exclusive business-oriented software company allowed to use Albert Einstein's likeness for $20 million.

[21] In 2020, Salesforce joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing energy giant and Standard Oil-descendant ExxonMobil.

[23] Across 2020 and 2021, Salesforce saw some notable leadership changes; in February 2020, co-chief executive officer Keith Block stepped down from his position in the company.

[39] The same month brought an announcement from activist investor Elliott Management that it would acquire a "big stake" in the company.

[55] Force.com applications are built using Apex, a proprietary Java-like programming language[56] to generate HTML originally via the "Visualforce" framework.

[59] Launched in 2005, the Salesforce AppExchange is an online app store that allows users to sell third-party applications and consulting services.

[86] In 2006, Salesforce acquired Sendia, a mobile web service firm, for $15 million[87] and Kieden, an online advertising company.

[105] In 2016, Salesforce acquired Demandware, a cloud-based provider of e-commerce services, for $2.8 billion[106][107] and Quip, a word processing app, for $750 million.

[121] In December 2023, Salesforce announced it would acquire Spiff, an automated commission management platform for an undisclosed amount.

[122] In April 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported that Salesforce was in advanced talks to acquire Informatica at a price below its $11 billion market capitalization at the time.

[124] In September 2024, Salesforce acquired Own, a provider of backup services, for $1.9 billion, giving Own's about 1000 employees the deadline of January 31, 2025 in those positions.

[127][128] Salesforce stated that "a phisher tricked someone into disclosing a password, but this intrusion did not stem from a security flaw in [the salesforce.com] application or database.

"[127] In 2017, at DEF CON, two security engineers were fired after giving a presentation on an internal project called MEATPISTOL.

[131] The not-for-profit organization Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) rejected a US$250,000 donation from Salesforce because the company has contracts with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The ex-employee, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, claimed she was discriminated against because of her disability and terminated in the firm's Japan web marketing team.

The suit alleged that the anonymous woman, as an employee at Salesforce Japan from 2018 to 2020, faced hate speech, microaggressions and rejection of reasonable accommodation from the manager.

[141] In January 2023, Salesforce reported that 8,000 employees had been laid off as a result of over-hiring during the Covid lockdown and a global economic downturn.

In March 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that actor Matthew McConaughey was paid 10 million dollars yearly for his role as a "creative advisor and TV pitchman".

[142][143] In September 2024, former Salesforce Senior Director Dina Zelikson filed a lawsuit against the company in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation during a medical leave.

[145] These investments became Salesforce Ventures, headed by John Somorjai[145][146] In September 2014, SFV set up Salesforce1 Fund, aimed at start-ups creating applications primarily for mobile phones.

[147] In December 2018, Salesforce Ventures announced the launch of the Japan Trailblazer Fund, focused on Japanese startups.

[148] In August 2018, Salesforce Ventures reported investments totaling over $1 billion in 275 companies, including CloudCraze (e-commerce),[149] Figure Eight (artificial intelligence),[150] Forter (online fraud prevention),[151] and FinancialForce (automation software).