Microsoft had its initial public offering in 1986. The company went public on March 13, 1986, listing its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
Microsoft offered shares at $21 each and raised about $61 million. Strong demand pushed the stock to approximately $28 by the end of its first trading day, making the IPO a major success for the young software company.
The IPO came as Microsoft was expanding rapidly through MS-DOS, its partnership with IBM, and the first retail release of Windows in 1985. The company had also recently moved its headquarters from Bellevue to a new campus in Redmond, Washington.
A common mix-up is confusing the IPO year with later milestones such as Windows 95 in 1995, Microsoft's introduction of Office in 1989, or the company's incorporation in 1975. The 1986 IPO also helped create substantial wealth for Microsoft employees who held company stock.