Microsoft became the first publicly traded U.S. company after Apple to reach a $3 trillion market capitalization in January 2024.
Microsoft’s valuation reflected several major businesses: Windows, Office, Azure cloud computing, enterprise software, gaming and professional networking through LinkedIn. Investor enthusiasm also focused on the company’s artificial-intelligence strategy and its partnership with OpenAI.
The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. It became a dominant personal-computer software supplier through MS-DOS and Windows, then expanded into subscription software and cloud services as the technology industry changed.
A market-cap ranking is not permanent. Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia have each traded places near the top because their share prices move independently. The $3 trillion figure describes equity value at a particular market price, rather than Microsoft’s total economic output or cash holdings.