Apple introduced the Macintosh personal computer in 1984 and is among the world’s highest-valued companies by market capitalization.
The Macintosh launched on January 24, 1984, after a memorable Super Bowl advertisement directed by Ridley Scott. It helped popularize a graphical user interface and mouse-based interaction for mainstream personal computers. Apple had been founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.
Apple’s later growth came from combining hardware, software, and services. The iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and App Store created an interconnected ecosystem that generates revenue from both devices and recurring services. The iPhone, introduced in 2007, became the company’s central product.
Market capitalization changes with share price, so rankings among the world’s richest companies can move daily. Apple is commonly confused with Apple Records, the Beatles’ record label; the two organizations were separate and had a long-running trademark dispute.