The global corporate landscape has witnessed a seismic shift, with artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker Nvidia dethroning long-standing titans to claim the crown of the world's most valuable company. This revelation comes from the much-anticipated 2025 Hurun Global 1000 list, released on Monday, December 17, 2025. The report, which expanded its scope to rank 1,000 companies this year, underscores the overwhelming dominance of US technology giants, though energy and semiconductor players from Saudi Arabia and China also hold firm.
The AI Powerhouse Takes the Lead
In a remarkable ascent, Nvidia surged two positions to secure the number one spot, ending the reign of Microsoft. The company's market capitalisation skyrocketed to a staggering $4.63 trillion, propelled by an unprecedented 49% increase in value. Analysts attribute this explosive growth to the insatiable global demand for its advanced AI chips, which have become the backbone of the ongoing technological revolution.
Apple managed to hold onto its second position with a valuation of $4.03 trillion, reflecting a solid 23% growth. Microsoft, despite growing its value by 13% to $3.79 trillion, slipped two places to third. The top five was rounded out by Alphabet (Google's parent company) at $3.36 trillion and Amazon at $2.54 trillion.
New Entrants and Notable Movers in the Top 10
The 2025 list highlights dramatic changes beyond the top three. Semiconductor giant Broadcom made a stunning debut in the top 10, entering directly at seventh place. Its valuation witnessed a meteoric 118% rise to $1.62 trillion. Electric vehicle pioneer Tesla also made a powerful comeback, re-entering the elite list at tenth position after a 115% surge in value, reaching $1.35 trillion.
The list maintained its international flavour with Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian energy colossus, holding sixth place despite an 8% dip in value to $1.67 trillion. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) from China retained its presence in the ninth spot, with its valuation growing 64% to $1.48 trillion. Meta Platforms (Facebook) occupied the eighth position.
The combined worth of these top 10 companies is an astonishing $26 trillion, a figure roughly equivalent to the total stock market value of mainland China and Hong Kong combined.
India's Position on the Global Stage
The report presents a challenging picture for Indian corporate giants on the global scale. No Indian company featured in the top 10 or even the top 50 of the Hurun Global 1000. The total number of Indian firms on the list fell to 40, down from 51 the previous year.
Reliance Industries, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani and consistently India's most valuable company, experienced a significant drop in its global ranking. It fell 30 places to rank 74th globally in 2025. This decline was accompanied by a 6% decrease in its market capitalisation, which now stands at $233 billion.
The 2025 Hurun Global 1000 list, with a valuation cut-off date of November 14, 2025, includes both listed and unlisted companies. While 90% of the list comprises publicly traded firms ranked by market capitalisation, the remaining 10% includes private giants like OpenAI, ByteDance, and SpaceX, which are ranked based on their latest valuations.
