Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975.
The company began after Gates and Allen developed a version of the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer. Microsoft’s name combines “microcomputer” and “software.”
Its major growth phase followed the 1981 agreement to provide an operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers. MS-DOS and later Windows helped make Microsoft one of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world.
Microsoft is sometimes confused with Apple because both became dominant personal-computer companies. Microsoft’s best-known businesses now include Windows, Azure, Microsoft 365, Xbox, and LinkedIn. Satya Nadella became chief executive in 2014.