Microsoft was the first of these companies to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization after Amazon crossed the threshold in 2018, passing the mark in April 2019.
Microsoft’s renewed market-value growth followed a strategic shift toward cloud computing and subscription software. Azure became a major competitor to Amazon Web Services, while Microsoft 365 and other recurring-revenue products strengthened the company’s financial profile.
Microsoft had briefly reached a trillion-dollar valuation in intraday trading in 2019 before later establishing the milestone more firmly. Alphabet also joined the trillion-dollar group in 2020.
This achievement is distinct from being the first company ever to reach $1 trillion. Apple reached that historic mark in 2018, followed shortly by Amazon.