PetroChina was the first publicly traded company to surpass a $1 trillion valuation during the 21st century.
The Chinese oil producer crossed the mark during its Shanghai Stock Exchange debut on November 5, 2007. The listing generated intense demand and gave PetroChina an extraordinary opening market capitalization, although the valuation did not remain at that level for long.
PetroChina operates across the petroleum industry, including exploration, production, refining, marketing, and natural gas. It is connected to China National Petroleum Corporation, a state-owned enterprise that remains one of the world’s largest energy groups.
Apple is a common answer to this question because Apple was the first US company to reach $1 trillion, in 2018. The broader worldwide record belongs to PetroChina. The distinction between first globally and first in the United States prevents two otherwise similar milestones from being confused.