Alphabet is the parent company created in 2015 to house Google and its other businesses.
Google announced the corporate restructuring in August 2015, and Alphabet became the publicly traded parent in October of that year. Google remained the largest operating company within the new structure, while businesses such as research projects and investment activities could be managed more independently.
Larry Page became Alphabet’s chief executive and Sergey Brin became its president at launch. Sundar Pichai became Google’s CEO in 2015 and later became Alphabet’s CEO in 2019. The structure was designed to give Google’s internet businesses a clearer focus while allowing other ventures to develop separately.
Alphabet is often confused with Google because Google remains its best-known subsidiary. Investors buy Alphabet shares, not a separately listed Google corporation. Alphabet’s market capitalization therefore reflects the combined public-company value of Google and its other businesses.