Alphabet owns Google, including the Android operating system and Google Search, and is one of the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalization.
Alphabet was created in 2015 through a corporate restructuring of Google. The new parent company allowed Google’s core internet businesses to remain together while separating them from other ventures, such as research and investment projects. Sundar Pichai became Alphabet’s chief executive in 2019 after previously leading Google.
Google Search generates much of Alphabet’s revenue through advertising, while Android is the world’s most widely used mobile operating system by installed devices. Alphabet also operates YouTube and Google Cloud, among other businesses.
A common mix-up is to name Google as the publicly traded parent company. Google remains the principal operating subsidiary, but Alphabet Inc. is the listed corporate parent whose shares represent the group’s market value. Alphabet trades under the stock symbols GOOGL and GOOG.