Apple Isn't the First to Hit $1 Trillion In Value

Apple’s status as a cultural icon has just reached a new level. Now that the tech giant’s stock is trading above $207.04 a share, Appleis being hailed today as the first $1 trillion company, based on the total value of its stock.

But is it really?

If you just look at American companies today, it may look that way. In the S&P 500 index of the biggest U.S. stocks, Apple sits comfortably atop the list with a $1 trillion market value, followed by Amazon.comat $872 billion, Google-parent Alphabet at $844 billion, Microsoftat $816 billion, and Facebookat $504 billion.

But when you expand your search and start to look globally and historically, you’ll find plenty of examples of dominant corporations that actually dwarf Apple’s market size — after you inflation-adjust their value to today’s dollars to make a fair comparison.

If you do that, Apple is just one of several dominant companies that crossed the equivalent of the $1 trillion threshold.

Dutch East India Co.

Industry: Global Trade

Value in Today’s Dollars: $8.2 Trillion