Alphabet first reached a $1 trillion market capitalization in January 2020.
Alphabet is the parent company created during Google's 2015 corporate restructuring. Google remained the best-known operating business, while Alphabet became the holding company for Google and several other ventures. The company's advertising business, especially search and YouTube, was the central source of its financial strength.
Alphabet crossed the milestone after its shares rose following strong quarterly results. Market capitalization reflects the market value of all outstanding shares, so it differs from revenue, profit, or the value of Google's brand alone.
Alphabet is often confused with Google because Google is its largest subsidiary and remains the name of the main internet business. Alphabet was founded in 2015, while Google itself was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.