This morning we ventured out on a fun ride to visit the Trillion Dollar Companies of Wall Street. This was inspired by my buddy Derek Cheng’s post for the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, called Investment Portfolio Driving Tour: 8 Trillion-Dollar Companies in One Day.
Instead of driving a car from the North, we rode our bikes from the South, starting in San Jose, in a lovely 100km loop.
Active riding time was just over 4 hours (total time longer with stopping for photos, traffic lights, a few construction detrouts, snacks, coffee, etc).
In that time, we visited, in order:
- Broadcom (AVGO)
- Nvidia (NVDA)
- Amazon (AMZN)
- Microsoft (MSFT)
- Alphabet (GOOGL)
- Meta (META)
- Tesla (TSLA)
- Apple (AAPL)
These companies are one of the many things that makes Silicon Valley so special. Most of the world’s Trillion Dollar Companies are within a short distance of each other, comprise around one third of the value of the entire stock market, and contribute to California having the highest GDP of any state.
Broadcom
Kicking off the Trillion Dollar Company ride today, we hit Broadcom (AVGO). This powerhouse reached the $1T milestone on December 13, 2024.
They specialize in the chips driving servers and networking gear, and with the 2023 VMware acquisition, they’ve expanded into high-margin cloud software. This strategic pivot, combined with massive buybacks and robust demand for AI networking, propelled their valuation into the stratosphere.
Roots-wise, it all started in 1991 when UCLA professors Henry Samueli and Henry Nicholas launched the firm from a campus lab.
Nvidia
Next on the morning loop was Nvidia (NVDA), which first crossed the $1T mark on May 30, 2023.
Known for the processors powering modern graphics and AI, Nvidia became indispensable as its GPUs turned into the engine for training AI models. Huge revenue growth and investor hype around machine learning have kept the stock soaring.
Fun fact: the name stems from the Latin “invidia,” meaning envy—the founders intended for their tech to be the envy of the industry.
Amazon
Riding further up the peninsula, we reach Amazon (AMZN). They cleared the $1 trillion capitalization hurdle in early September 2018.
While synonymous with e-commerce, their massive valuation is heavily driven by the profitability of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and its dominance in the cloud.
Interesting bit of history: Jeff Bezos originally incorporated the business in 1994 as “Cadabra” and operated out of his garage in Bellevue before rebranding to the Amazon we know today.
Microsoft
Almost right next door is Microsoft (MSFT), passing the $1T mark on April 25, 2019.
This titan of software and cloud (think Azure, Office, and Xbox) saw its valuation surge as investors rewarded its steady subscription model and optimistic growth outlook.
As for the name, it was coined in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen as a simple portmanteau of “microcomputer software.”
Alphabet
Just up the road is Alphabet (GOOGL), a frequent coffee stop on my rides! They hit the trillion-dollar club on January 16, 2020.
As Google’s parent, their value is built on search dominance and YouTube, bolstered by recent excitement around AI integration.
For the trivia buffs: the project was originally dubbed “Backrub” before evolving into Google—a play on “googol,” the mathematical term for 1 followed by 100 zeros.
Meta
Reaching the northernmost point of our tour, we find Meta (META). First crossing the threshold in 2021 as Facebook, it rejoined the $1T ranks on January 24, 2024.
Now housing Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Meta is betting big on AI infrastructure to optimize its massive ad engine.
A quirky detail: Facebook’s signature blue palette exists because Mark Zuckerberg is red-green color blind, making blue the most vivid shade for him to see.
Tesla
Turning southwest, we swing by Tesla (TSLA), which hit its first $1T valuation on October 25, 2021.
More than an EV maker, Tesla is evolving into an AI and robotics firm with projects like FSD and Optimus. Investors view it more as a tech giant than a traditional automaker.
Did you know? Their retail experience was designed by George Blankenship, the same mind behind the original Apple Store layout—which brings us to our final stop!
Apple
We wrap up the tour at Apple (AAPL), the world’s first public company to reach $1 trillion on August 2, 2018.
From the iPhone to its vast services ecosystem, Apple set the gold standard for integrated tech. Their success is a masterclass in premium branding and supply chain excellence.
While many recognize the rainbow apple, the original logo was a drawing of Isaac Newton beneath a tree, designed by “third founder” Ronald Wayne, who famously sold his 10% stake for just $800 in 1976.
The ride was delightful, with my favorite section being between Alphabet and Meta, being almost all paved trail through marshes, over bridges, and past all the birds.
~2,200 calories were burned. Fuel included a cliff bar, a vegan red velvet cupcake from Sprinkles, and a vegan tiramisu and iced americano at the Apple Visitor Center’s Cafe Macs.
Here’s the Strava Route for Tour de Trillion Dollar Companies, if you want to ride it. Companies subject to change. Start/end point up to you.
Cruising back home, I couldn’t help but reflect on the sheer scale of innovation packed into such a small valley. It’s wild to think that within a few hours on a bike, you can tag the corporate headquarters of the biggest companies that collectively reshape how we live, work, and connect every single day.
Silicon Valley really is a one-of-a-kind place where the biggest of the big – and big ideas – are just a short ride away.
