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    Mega-cap Hunger Games

    The biggest companies, racing for the crown

    At the end of August 2013, the biggest US company was Apple, worth $443B.

    Apple takes the crown back from Exxon Mobil

    In January 2006 it was Exxon Mobil, at $383B.

    Monthly to September 2026. A company’s market cap is its last share price of the month times all of its shares, from its SEC filings.

    Post on X
    Scan the market as of Aug 2013Open AAPL

    Monthly to September 2026. US-listed companies headquartered in the US. Not financial advice.

    How to read it

    Each creature is one of the ten biggest US companies that month. Its length is its market cap: the last share price of the month times every share it has, across all of its share classes.

    When one creature passes another, it opens its jaws and takes a bite. The crown sits on the biggest company. The race stops for a moment when a company takes the crown for the first time, and when one becomes the first to reach a new trillion.

    Share counts come from each company’s SEC filings and change on the day of a split or a merger. Prices are the raw closing prices on each month’s last trading day. Dollars are not adjusted for inflation.

    The moments

    Every change of crown, every first trillion and every first time a company broke into the top ten. Each one has its own page to share.

    1. May 2026Nvidia is the first $5T company
    2. Jul 2025Nvidia is the first $4T company
    3. Jun 2025Nvidia eats Microsoft and takes the crown
    4. May 2025Microsoft takes the crown back from Apple
    5. Jul 2024Apple takes the crown back from Microsoft
    6. Feb 2024Broadcom eats Visa to break into the top ten
    7. Jan 2024Microsoft takes the crown back from Apple
    8. Aug 2023Eli Lilly eats UnitedHealth to break into the top ten
    9. Jun 2023Apple is the first $3T company
    10. Nov 2021Apple takes the crown back from Microsoft
    11. Nov 2021UnitedHealth eats Visa to break into the top ten
    12. Oct 2021Microsoft takes the crown back from Apple
    13. Jun 2021Nvidia eats Johnson & Johnson to break into the top ten
    14. Aug 2020Apple is the first $2T company
    15. Aug 2020Tesla eats Procter & Gamble to break into the top ten
    16. Jun 2020Apple takes the crown back from Microsoft
    17. May 2020Mastercard eats Procter & Gamble to break into the top ten
    18. Feb 2020Microsoft takes the crown back from Apple
    19. Oct 2019Apple takes the crown back from Microsoft
    20. Feb 2019Microsoft takes the crown back from Amazon
    21. Jan 2019Amazon eats Microsoft and takes the crown
    22. Nov 2018Microsoft eats Apple and takes the crown
    23. Aug 2018Apple is the first $1T company
    24. May 2018Visa eats Bank of America to break into the top ten
    25. Aug 2015Amazon eats JPMorgan Chase to break into the top ten
    26. Mar 2015Facebook eats Procter & Gamble to break into the top ten
    27. Aug 2013Apple takes the crown back from Exxon Mobil
    28. Jun 2013Exxon Mobil takes the crown back from Apple
    29. Jan 2012Apple takes the crown back from Exxon Mobil
    30. Nov 2011Exxon Mobil takes the crown back from Apple
    31. Sep 2011Apple eats Exxon Mobil and takes the crown
    32. Apr 2011Oracle eats Google to break into the top ten
    33. Jul 2009Apple eats Google to break into the top ten
    34. Dec 2008Wells Fargo eats JPMorgan Chase to break into the top ten
    35. Sep 2008JPMorgan Chase eats IBM to break into the top ten
    36. Jul 2008IBM eats Google to break into the top ten
    37. Oct 2007Google eats Chevron to break into the top ten
    38. Aug 2007Berkshire Hathaway eats Walmart to break into the top ten
    39. Jul 2007Cisco eats AIG to break into the top ten
    40. Jun 2007Chevron eats Pfizer to break into the top ten
    41. Dec 2006AT&T eats AIG to break into the top ten
    42. Jul 2006Altria eats AIG to break into the top ten
    43. Jan 2006Exxon Mobil wears the crown

    The biggest companies at the end of each year

    YearNo. 1No. 2No. 3
    2026Nvidia $5.5TApple $4.86TAlphabet $4.21T
    2025Nvidia $4.53TApple $4.02TAlphabet $3.78T
    2024Apple $3.79TNvidia $3.29TMicrosoft $3.13T
    2023Apple $2.99TMicrosoft $2.8TAlphabet $1.75T
    2022Apple $2.07TMicrosoft $1.79TAlphabet $1.14T
    2021Apple $2.91TMicrosoft $2.53TAlphabet $1.92T
    2020Apple $2.26TMicrosoft $1.68TAmazon $1.63T
    2019Apple $1.31TMicrosoft $1.2TAlphabet $924B
    2018Microsoft $780BApple $749BAmazon $734B
    2017Apple $869BAlphabet $732BMicrosoft $660B
    2016Apple $618BAlphabet $546BMicrosoft $483B
    2015Apple $587BAlphabet $535BMicrosoft $443B
    2014Apple $647BExxon Mobil $392BMicrosoft $383B
    2013Apple $505BExxon Mobil $442BGoogle $374B
    2012Apple $501BExxon Mobil $395BGoogle $232B
    2011Exxon Mobil $406BApple $376BMicrosoft $218B
    2010Exxon Mobil $369BApple $296BMicrosoft $239B
    2009Exxon Mobil $324BMicrosoft $271BWalmart $204B
    2008Exxon Mobil $406BWalmart $220BProcter & Gamble $181B
    2007Exxon Mobil $512BGE $375BMicrosoft $333B
    2006Exxon Mobil $447BGE $384BMicrosoft $294B