Microsoft became the world’s most valuable listed company in 2019 after its market value passed US$1 trillion.
Microsoft crossed the US$1 trillion market-capitalization mark in April 2019, joining Apple and Amazon in the trillion-dollar group. Its share price was supported by growth in cloud computing, especially Azure, as well as subscriptions, enterprise software, and productivity products.
The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. It became famous for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office, but its later expansion into cloud services changed how investors assessed its growth prospects.
Microsoft’s position in valuation rankings has changed repeatedly as share prices move. The company’s market capitalization is separate from its revenue, operating income, or the total value of all software running on its products.