Microsoft, founded in 1975, became one of the world’s first US$1 trillion companies by market capitalization.
Microsoft crossed the US$1 trillion valuation threshold in April 2019. Its market value was supported by the enduring importance of Windows and Office, as well as rapid growth in cloud computing through Microsoft Azure. The company’s transformation under CEO Satya Nadella helped investors see it as a major cloud and subscription-software provider rather than only a personal-computer company.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its early success came from software licensing, especially the MS-DOS operating system and Windows. It later expanded into enterprise software, gaming, search, professional networking, and cloud infrastructure.
Microsoft’s trillion-dollar milestone came after Apple and Amazon had already crossed that level. It nevertheless demonstrated how software subscriptions and cloud services could support valuations comparable with the world’s largest consumer brands.