Microsoft, founded in 1975, became one of the world’s most valuable companies through Windows, Azure, and Office.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April 1975. The company first became widely known for software, including the MS-DOS operating system supplied with IBM-compatible personal computers and the later Windows family.
Microsoft’s modern market value rests on several businesses rather than one product. Office productivity software became a major recurring-revenue franchise, while Azure grew into one of the world’s largest cloud-computing platforms. Microsoft also owns LinkedIn, Xbox, and GitHub.
The company joined the trillion-dollar market-capitalization group in 2019. Its valuation has been influenced by subscription software, cloud growth, enterprise customers, and investments in artificial intelligence. Microsoft is often compared with Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, and Nvidia because all compete for the highest global market values.