Microsoft first reached a $1 trillion market capitalization in 2019 while its shares traded on the Nasdaq.
The milestone reflected Microsoft’s transformation from a software-license company into a broad cloud and subscription business. Azure cloud services, Office 365 subscriptions and enterprise software helped investors see recurring revenue and continuing growth beyond the traditional Windows model.
Microsoft had briefly crossed the threshold during intraday trading in April 2019, rather than waiting for a later closing milestone. Intraday market capitalization can change minute by minute as a share price moves.
The company was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Its name combines “microcomputer” and “software,” and its early success came from software for personal computers, including the MS-DOS operating system and Microsoft Windows.