• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

A first: Microsoft inches past IBM in annual revenue

By
Stacy Jones
Stacy Jones
and
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stacy Jones
Stacy Jones
and
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 5, 2015, 5:56 PM ET
Chart by Stacy Jones

Here’s an interesting tidbit. Microsoft(MSFT) has overtaken IBM(IBM)in annual revenue for the first time. Mind you, it wasn’t by much: Microsoft revenue stands at $93.58 billion compared to IBM’s $92.79 billion, according to company earnings reports.

Microsoft eclipsed IBM in market cap in the late 90s. Its market cap is now about $381.3 billion versus $155.85 billion for Big Blue, but in terms of revenue, this is all new.

Taking a peek at other tech industry veterans (or dinosaurs, as some on Twitter put it), Intel(INTC) revenue was flat to slightly up over the past five years and stands at about $55.87 billion now. And Dell weighed in at the $54.9 billion mark when it went private in late 2013. It is now off the relevant financial charts, which is probably why Michael Dell wanted out of the public markets in the first place.

As for Apple? Those iPads and iPhones pulled in $187.29 billion in revenue annually. Yowza.

In the fullness of time, it’s striking that Apple(AAPL), which suffered a near-death experience in the late 1990s when it was partially bailed out by Microsoft, now pulls in so much more than either of those companies. As for market cap, Apple’s weighs in at $657.52 billion—more than the IBM and Microsoft figures combined.

Not sure anyone would have called that 20 years ago.

About the Authors
By Stacy Jones
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Barb Darrow
By Barb Darrow
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

AI security leaders gather in Washington as risks mount—and Mythos raises the stakes
NewslettersEye on AI
AI security leaders gather in Washington as risks mount—and Mythos raises the stakes
By Sharon GoldmanApril 23, 2026
23 minutes ago
Sad nurse sitting on stairs reading bad news on mobile phone
Economygig economy
The tech industry is applying an Uber-style ‘gigification’ model to nursing. It means no workers’ comp, AI managers, and ‘surveillance wages’
By Tristan BoveApril 23, 2026
48 minutes ago
A group of users leaked Anthropic’s AI model Mythos by reportedly guessing where it was located
CybersecurityHacking
A group of users leaked Anthropic’s AI model Mythos by reportedly guessing where it was located
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 23, 2026
2 hours ago
gen z
LawEducation
The Gen Z stare meets the mysterious perfect homework assignment in the age of ChatGPT. Enter the oral exam
By Jocelyn Gecker and The Associated PressApril 23, 2026
3 hours ago
ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott, wearing a casual jacket over a tope shirt and sporting sunglasses, raises his arms in a shrug-like gesture.
InvestingServiceNow
Investors continue to punish ServiceNow despite strong earnings and CEO McDermott’s forecast of blistering growth in AI product sales
By Jeremy KahnApril 23, 2026
3 hours ago
Swoop founder Aubrey Niederhoffer
Startups & VentureFintech
A 19-year-old Thiel fellow just raised $7.3 million to build an African ‘super app’
By Jack KubinecApril 23, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AI
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
22 hours ago
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
Environment
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
By Mead Gruver, Dorany Pineda and The Associated PressApril 22, 2026
21 hours ago
When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
Economy
When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
By Eleanor PringleApril 23, 2026
7 hours ago
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
1 day ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
Elon Musk thinks college is ‘basically for fun’—but his former Tesla HR chief tells Gen Z their liberal arts degree is more valuable than ever
Success
Elon Musk thinks college is ‘basically for fun’—but his former Tesla HR chief tells Gen Z their liberal arts degree is more valuable than ever
By Preston ForeApril 22, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.