Software behemoth Microsoft is the 2nd most valuable company in the U.S. with a market capitalization of more than $2 trillion. The company most recently crossed this milestone, becoming the only second US company to reach the threshold. Microsoft's stock price has gained over 19% this year.Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Microsoft Windows. Under current CEO and Chairman Satya Nadella's watch, Microsoft has successfully switched from a software-focused company to a dominant leader in the cloud business. Azure cloud computing, productivity, and gaming divisions have driven the company's growth to post record revenues and earnings. The acquisitions of the business social network LinkedIn, source code-sharing site GitHub, and video-game developer Zenimax have also contributed to the rise.During the pandemic, Microsoft witnessed strong demand for its cloud-computing service, workplace-productivity solutions, and personal computers.