Alphabet became Google’s parent company when it was created in 2015 and later grew into a major market-cap giant.
Google announced the Alphabet restructuring in August 2015, and Alphabet became the publicly traded parent company in October of that year. Google’s core internet businesses, including Search, YouTube, and Android, became subsidiaries under Alphabet.
The reorganization separated Google’s mature advertising and internet operations from a group of other ventures, often called “Other Bets.” These included businesses involved in areas such as life sciences, autonomous vehicles, and investment. Larry Page became Alphabet’s chief executive, while Sundar Pichai became Google’s CEO.
Alphabet is sometimes described simply as Google because Google remains its best-known subsidiary. Legally and financially, however, Alphabet is the publicly listed parent corporation. Its market capitalization has been supported primarily by digital advertising, cloud computing, and investor expectations about artificial intelligence.