Microsoft owns the Windows operating system and became the second U.S. company valued above $3 trillion.
Microsoft crossed a $3 trillion market capitalization during trading on January 24, 2024, following Apple’s earlier achievement. Its valuation reflected strong demand for cloud computing through Azure, continuing Windows and Office revenue, and investor enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence partnership with OpenAI.
Microsoft began as a software company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Its business later expanded into enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, gaming through Xbox, professional networking through LinkedIn, and hardware.
Market capitalization measures the value assigned by stock investors, not the company’s annual sales or total assets. Microsoft’s $3 trillion milestone therefore describes its equity value at a point in trading, and that value can rise or fall every market day.