Alphabet adopted its current name in 2015 and became one of the world’s largest companies by market capitalization.
Google’s founders announced the Alphabet restructuring in August 2015, and the new holding company became the corporate parent of Google and several other businesses. Alphabet’s shares began trading under the new structure in October 2015.
The reorganization separated Google’s core internet products—such as Search, YouTube and Android—from more experimental ventures. Google remained Alphabet’s largest operating company, while businesses such as Waymo and Verily were grouped among the company’s “Other Bets.”
A common mix-up is treating Alphabet and Google as interchangeable names. Google is the principal subsidiary and brand, while Alphabet is the publicly traded parent company whose market capitalization is commonly listed in financial rankings.