Fifty years young

Founded on April 4 1975, Microsoft the familiar provider of computer operating systems and office productivity applications, turns 50 today. It has not always been easy for the company. In its early twenties Microsoft faced a lengthy anti-trust trial in the US, and in its thirties the company missed the shift in computing from PCs to smartphones. Today, Microsoft is the third most valuable publicly listed firm in the world operating in 190 countries and employing a staff of 228,000. Last year the firm generated USD 261.8 billion in revenues and USD 117.7 billion in operating income. Although fifty years may seem like a long time for a company to survive, Microsoft is not alone. Among the 20 most valuable companies in the world, 11 other companies are older. Tracing its roots to the Manhattan Company, banking giant JPMorgan Chase is 226 years old. The youngest firm with the top 20, is Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) which turned 21 in February this year.

Source: Company reports, Wikipedia, April 2025