Microsoft owns the Windows operating system and reached a US$3 trillion market capitalization in 2024.
Microsoft briefly surpassed US$3 trillion in market value on January 24, 2024, as investors continued to respond to its cloud and artificial-intelligence businesses. The company’s share price and share count determine its market capitalization, so the exact ranking can change quickly.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Windows became one of its best-known products, but the modern company also includes Azure cloud computing, Microsoft 365, Xbox, LinkedIn, GitHub, and enterprise software. Its investment in OpenAI and integration of generative-AI tools increased attention to its growth prospects.
Windows is sometimes treated as Microsoft’s entire business, but it is only one part of a much broader software and cloud portfolio. Microsoft’s market-cap milestone also followed years of transition from packaged computer software toward recurring subscriptions and cloud services.