Microsoft was the first company to reach a $3 trillion market capitalization without being Apple.
Microsoft crossed $3 trillion during trading on January 24, 2024, briefly surpassing Apple as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company. The milestone reflected investor enthusiasm for Microsoft’s cloud-computing business and its position in the commercial development of generative AI.
Microsoft owns Azure, one of the world’s largest cloud platforms, and has integrated AI tools across products such as Microsoft 365 and its developer services. Its investment in OpenAI also drew attention to the company’s AI strategy.
Microsoft had previously become the second company after Apple to reach $2 trillion, in 2021. Because rankings depend on live share prices, Apple and Microsoft have repeatedly exchanged the top position rather than one holding it permanently.