Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen and later became one of the world’s largest companies by market capitalization.
The company began by developing software for personal computers, including its version of the BASIC programming language. Its later growth came from Windows, Office, enterprise software, cloud computing, gaming, and related services.
Microsoft became a public company in 1986. Its market value has moved with investor expectations about software subscriptions, cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and corporate earnings. Market capitalization rankings can change daily, so a company’s place in a current list should not be treated as permanent.