--- description: After a brief demotion to the No. 2 spot last year, Apple has won back its title as the world's most valuable brand. title: These Are the 8 Most Valuable Brands image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt92c51f0836a7cbba/698782710b72e37c466de074/rtxy8ok-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Brands](/tag/brands/) ## Brands Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These Are the 8 Most Valuable Brands ## Video: The evolution of the iPhone [Watch (HLS stream): The evolution of the iPhone](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/sNcwFOG5.m3u8) (1:43)  _Published 2014-09-09. Since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, there have been 8 versions of the now-iconic smartphone. Fortune shows you how the iPhone became a global sensation._ by [Laura Lorenzetii / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Laura Lorenzetii / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 27, 2015 1:47 PM CUT  The entrance to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City. The entrance to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City.Mike Segar—Reuters by [Laura Lorenzetii / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Laura Lorenzetii / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 27, 2015 1:47 PM CUT After a brief demotion to the No. 2 spot last year, Apple has won back its title as the world’s most valuable brand, according to the annual [BrandZ ranking](http://www.millwardbrown.com/mb-global/brand-strategy/brand-equity/brandz/top-global-brands/2015 "undefined") put together by marketing research firm Millward Brown. Google briefly claimed the most valuable brand title last year, interrupting Apple’s three-year run. Apple’s brand value boomed 67% this year, hitting an impressive $247 billion. Google’s brand value, meanwhile, climbed 9% to $174 billion over that same period–making it the No. 2 most valuable brand this year. Millward calculates the most valuable brands using a mix of market data and consumer surveys to isolate what portion of a company’s value is credit to its brand name. Here’s the top 8 most valuable brands for 2015: **1\. Apple** Brand value: $247 billion Last year’s value: $148 billion Change from last year: 67% **2\. Google** Brand value: $173 billion Last year’s value: $158 billion Change from last year: 9% **3\. Microsoft** Brand value: $116 billion Last year’s value: $90 billion Change from last year: 28% **4\. IBM** Brand value: $94 billion Last year’s value: $108 billion Change from last year: -13% **5\. Visa** Brand value: $92 billion Last year’s value: $79 billion Change from last year: 16% **6\. AT&T** Brand value: $89 billion Last year’s value: $78 billion Change from last year: 15% **7\. Verizon** Brand value: $86 billion Last year’s value: $63 billion Change from last year: 36% **8\. Coca-Cola** Brand value: $84 billion Last year’s value: $81 billion Change from last year: 4% ### See How Tech CEOs Spend Their Money  Steve Jobs The Apple CEO's super yacht Venus was designed by Philippe Starck's design company Ubik. Jobs spent approximately $131 million on it but passed away in 2011 before it was completed. Ed Oudenaarden—AFP/Getty Images  Steve Ballmer In 2014, former Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer spent $2 billion to become the owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. Jeff Gross—Getty Images  Larry Ellison Outgoing Oracle CEO Larry Ellison owns 98% of the 141-square-mile Hawaiian island of Lanai, which he bought for an undisclosed price. He is turning it into a "model for sustainable enterprise," he's said, though details remain sketchy. NASA/Reuters  Larry Page and Sergey Brin Google CEO Larry Page and co-founder Sergey Brin have been attending the Burning Man Arts Festival since the company's early days. There they fund a "theme camp" and how exactly the funds are used is left up to participants' imaginations. Jim Urquhart—Reuters  Bill Gates The former Microsoft CEO is currently the richest man in the world, according to Bloomberg. Since 2000, Gates and his wife have been running the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In total it has issued grants adding up to over $30 billion. Pius Utomi Ekpei—AFP/Getty Images  Elon Musk PayPal Co-Founder Elon Musk (in driver's seat) began as a Series A investor in 2004 and is now the CEO and chief product architect of Tesla Motors. The company created the first mass-produced, highway-capable electric car and is valued at over $18 billion. Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images  Richard Branson Founder of Virgin Group, comprised of more than 400 companies, Branson has invested heavily in spaceship tourism with the SpaceShipTwo vehicle . David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images  Mark Zuckerberg To ensure his privacy, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought four of his neighboring houses in 2013 for an estimated $30 million-plus in Palo Alto, California. Noah Berger—Bloomberg/Getty Images _Read next:_ [_Here Are the Funniest Error Pages on the Web_](http://time.com/3860627/404-error-page-fails-best-funniest/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/autoplay/?xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3897671/brands-most-valuable/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3897671/brands-most-valuable/"},"headline":"These Are the 8 Most Valuable Brands","datePublished":"2015-05-27T13:47:27.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:03:19.762Z","description":"Google isn't No. 1 any longer","url":"https://time.com/3897671/brands-most-valuable/","keywords":["Brands","Apple","Google","Branding","Microsoft","Tech","value","rankings","pubdesk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt92c51f0836a7cbba/698782710b72e37c466de074/rtxy8ok-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Lorenzetii / Fortune"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt92c51f0836a7cbba/698782710b72e37c466de074/rtxy8ok-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The entrance to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City.","caption":"The entrance to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City.","creditText":"Mike Segar—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/brands/","name":"Brands"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3897671/brands-most-valuable/","name":"These Are the 8 Most Valuable Brands"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The evolution of the iPhone","description":"Since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, there have been 8 versions of the now-iconic smartphone. 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