Microsoft was founded in 1975 and later became one of the world’s largest companies by market capitalization.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April 1975. The company first became widely known for software such as the MS-DOS operating system and Microsoft Windows, which helped establish the standard software environment for IBM-compatible personal computers.
Microsoft’s market value expanded as it moved beyond desktop software into enterprise computing, productivity subscriptions, gaming, search, and cloud services. Azure became particularly important to the company’s modern valuation, competing with other large cloud platforms and generating recurring commercial revenue.
The company’s market capitalization has repeatedly placed it near the top of global rankings, alongside Apple, Saudi Aramco, Amazon, and Nvidia. A high market cap reflects investor expectations and share price; it is not a direct ranking of employee count, physical assets, or annual sales.