Apple became the first publicly traded company to exceed a $1 trillion market capitalization during trading in 2018.
Apple reached the landmark on August 2, 2018, when its shares rose after the company reported strong quarterly results. The market-cap calculation used the number of shares outstanding and the live share price, so the exact point depended on trading conditions and share-count estimates.
Apple’s record was built on decades of product development. The Macintosh established the company in personal computing, the iPod expanded its consumer-electronics reach, and the iPhone created a huge mobile ecosystem. The App Store and other services later added recurring revenue.
The word “first” refers to a publicly traded company and a nominal U.S.-dollar valuation. It does not adjust for inflation, and it does not claim Apple was the largest business under every possible measure. Revenue, assets, profits, and enterprise value produce different rankings.