They say it’s not about winning, more the taking part. That’s a saying that probably rings true when your net worth ranks in the billions, but Google may well be fuming today all the same, having just lost out to Apple in the list of the world’s most valuable companies.
The ‘BrandZ’ list, compiled annually by market analysers Milward Brown, sees 2011’s top spot filled by Steve Jobs’ Apple for the first time, having bumped previous front runner Google off of pole position. Apple’s net worth has rocketed up 84 per cent to $153 billion (£93 billion), due largely to the success of both the iPhone and the iPad – now its biggest sellers.
Despite the company’s Android mobile platform dominating the world smartphone market, Google has slipped to a net worth of $111 billion (£68 billion), which puts it a good £25 billion behind Apple.
Other notable tech entries include Vodafone at number 12 and Facebook at number 35. Are you surprised? Let us know on the Gadget Helpline Twitter feed.