Microsoft introduced the Windows operating system and became one of the first trillion-dollar companies.
Microsoft released the first version of Windows in 1985 as a graphical operating environment for MS-DOS. Later versions, especially Windows 3.0, Windows 95, and Windows XP, helped make personal computers accessible to a mass audience.
Microsoft’s market value reached $1 trillion in April 2019, after Apple and Amazon had already crossed that threshold. The company’s valuation later reflected more than Windows: its businesses include Azure cloud computing, Microsoft 365, Xbox, LinkedIn, and enterprise software.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. A common mix-up is to treat Windows as Microsoft’s original product; the company first became known for supplying software, including a BASIC interpreter, before the Windows era.