Apple became the first company to reach a stock-market value of $1 trillion in 2018.
The milestone was reached on August 2, 2018, when Apple’s share price rose enough to bring its market capitalization to approximately $1 trillion. Market capitalization is calculated by multiplying a company’s share price by the number of shares outstanding.
Apple’s valuation reflected decades of growth in personal computers, music players, smartphones, software, and digital services. The iPhone, introduced in 2007, was especially important in transforming Apple into one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Apple was later followed by other trillion-dollar companies, including Microsoft and Amazon. The milestone refers to the value of publicly traded shares, not to cash held by the company or annual revenue. Apple’s stock price and share count have changed since 2018, including through stock splits, but its place in business history as the first trillion-dollar company remains unchanged.