Alphabet is the parent company of Google and became one of the world’s first trillion-dollar firms.
Google reorganized under Alphabet in October 2015. The restructuring placed Google’s core internet products under Alphabet while separating other businesses, such as life-sciences and investment projects, into distinct units. Google remains Alphabet’s largest and most important business.
Alphabet crossed a $1 trillion market capitalization in January 2020. Its valuation was powered mainly by Google Search advertising, YouTube, and the rapidly expanding Google Cloud business. The company also invests in artificial intelligence and other technology projects through its broader corporate structure.
A common mistake is to treat Google and Alphabet as identical corporate names. Google is the principal operating company, while Alphabet is the publicly traded parent. Alphabet’s listed shares use the ticker symbols GOOG and GOOGL, which differ mainly in voting rights.