Nvidia became the world’s most valuable company in June 2024, briefly surpassing Microsoft and Apple by market capitalization.
The shift reflected enormous investor demand for Nvidia’s graphics processing units, or GPUs, which became central to training and running generative artificial-intelligence systems. Its CUDA software platform and data-center products also strengthened its position beyond consumer graphics.
Market-cap rankings can change quickly because they depend on share prices. Nvidia’s lead was therefore a snapshot of public-market value rather than a permanent title. Microsoft and Apple returned to the top position at other points.
Nvidia is often described as a chip designer rather than a traditional chip manufacturer. It designs processors and platforms, while much of its fabrication is outsourced to specialized foundries such as TSMC.