8 trillion-dollar marvels

India’s GDP crossed $1trillion in the 2000s. Only about 20 odd countries have achieved this feat. Yet there are companies which are valued at $1 trillion in terms of market capitalization. Saudi Aramco is the only non-tech company to have achieved it. 7 companies and 1 cryptocurrency have achieved a valuation of $1 trillion at some point or the other. A look at them.

1. Nvidia–Founded 1993.

Peak marcap: $3.45 trillion.

USP: The future is AI. Nvidia AI.

For decades Intel was the most valuable chipmaker by a mile. But right now while Intel is valued in the low 100s of billions, Nvidia is a trillionaire. A steady player till the 2010s, it has taken off like a rocket in the 2020s all thanks to its AI achievements and further promise.

2. Microsoft–Founded 1975.

Peak marcap: $3.4 trillion.

USP: Consistent products for decades.

Microsoft is touching its 50th anniversary. While companies come and go, its products seem to have been around forever. Windows and Microsoft Office are old legends while newbies like Azure are flourishing too.

3. Apple–Founded 1976.

Peak marcap: $3.3 trillion.

USP: King of diversity and change.

Apple has kept changing, innovating and diversifying. It is a king in the desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone market. It is a king in the hardware, software and services sectors. Markets came and went, the iconic iPod came and went. But Apple products continue to endure.

4. Alphabet–Founded 1998.

Peak marcap: $2.15 trillion.

USP: More than one monopoly.

Google Search was launched in the 1990s and in the 2020s it is still a monopoly. YouTube is a monopoly. Google Maps rules. Android Mobile OS is a monopoly in India. Plus it seems to have many more fingers in the pie. Who knows how many more monopolies are yet to come?

5. Amazon–Founded 1994.

Peak marcap: $1.97 trillion.

USP: Heading to be the world’s largest.

Walmart has been Fortune 500 No. 1 for more than 10 years consecutively with a revenue of more than half a trillion: $648 billion. Amazon is close on its heels at $574 billion. Apple is at $383 billion. Amazon.com with its logistical support, AWS and the AI data of real customers and real purchases make it bet for far greater heights.

6. Bitcoin–Created in 2009.

Peak marcap: $1.35 trillion.

USP: Transparent, democratic money based on tech.

Youngest kid in the block. There’s no office. No company. No CEO. No official investment. It’s all virtual. And it still entered the trillionaire club. The death of Bitcoin has been predicted so many times, but it is still around and used by common people, the global elite and even in crime.

7. Meta–Founded 2004.

Peak marcap: $1.22 trillion.

USP: The highest number of users ever.

Facebook has 3 billion users. WhatsApp has 2 billion. Instagram has 2 billion. Messenger has 1 billion. No company comes close. In fact the Metaverse has been the company’s first real failure. But you still can’t rule them out if and when things really open up in the future.

8. Tesla–Founded 2003.

Peak marcap: $1.21 trillion.

USP: The clear leader in smart innovation.

Tesla made cars sexy. Brought the time of charging down. Created a great charging network. From cars it has also moved on to the Cybertruck. Who would have thought that the decades of dominance by Ford and General Motors would be overshadowed by the electric.

The two retail giants Walmart and Amazon together have more than $1 trillion in revenue.

The three tech giants Amazon, Apple and Alphabet together have more than $1 trillion in revenue. It is not surprising that California’s GDP is in the region of $4 trillion.

Anyone with a net worth of $100 billion is called a centi-billionnaire. There are around 15 at a time. We’ve had quarter-trillionaires. How long till we have a full-fledged trillionaire in flesh?

Meanwhile tech marches on in the realm of the trillions.