Economy · From the edition of Jul 17, 2026
✳ Dated FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026 ✳
NVIDIA CROWNED KING OF ALL COMMERCE
as the silicon titan repels Apple's furious late charge to keep its planetary throne
NEW YORK, July 31 — NVIDIA closed today as the most valuable company on Earth. Betting markets had put its odds at just 60 percent. The chipmaker, riding the AI boom now powering every industry, held off Apple's late surge. The biggest fortune ever built stays, for now, with the machine-makers.
It was close. In one week, the market's confidence in NVIDIA dropped by more than a quarter. Apple climbed to nearly 39 percent in traders' odds. It became a two-horse race to the wire. Alphabet, Microsoft and Saudi oil giant Aramco never got near.
Mark it down: the machines beat the phones and the oil. The crown is not secure. A quarter is fickle, and Apple isn't done. Traders return in August with knives sharpened. For one night, though, the machine wins.
Source: Polymarket · 60% probability — View market ↗