Microsoft, founded in 1975, uses the stock ticker MSFT and became a $2 trillion company in 2021. Its market value rose as investors rewarded growth in cloud computing, software subscriptions and enterprise services.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to develop software for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. The company’s MS-DOS agreement with IBM and the later Windows operating system made Microsoft a dominant personal-computer software supplier.
Today, Microsoft’s largest businesses include Azure cloud services, Microsoft 365, Windows, gaming and professional networking through LinkedIn. Its recurring subscription revenue and cloud expansion helped transform the company from a PC-software leader into one of the world’s most valuable corporations.