Microsoft became the second company to surpass US$3 trillion in market capitalization.
Microsoft passed the US$3 trillion mark in January 2024, following Apple, which had reached that level earlier. The company’s share price reflected investor confidence in its cloud-computing business and its growing role in artificial intelligence.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. It became famous for software such as MS-DOS and Windows, then expanded into enterprise software, gaming, search, cloud services, and hardware.
Its market value is not based on one product. Azure cloud services, Microsoft 365 subscriptions, Windows, Xbox, LinkedIn, and the company’s investment in OpenAI all contributed to how investors viewed its future growth.