American technology companies continue to dominate the Global 500 ranking of the world's most valuable brands for 2026. According to the latest Global 500 ranking compiled by consulting firm Brand Finance, Apple has retained its position as the world's most valuable brand. The brand's value grew by six per cent year-on-year to USD 607.6 billion. The company is benefiting primarily from the development of services, advertising, cloud solutions and the App Store, while hardware sales are growing at a slower pace.
Microsoft ranked second, with its brand value increasing by 23% to £565.2 billion. According to the analysis, growth is mainly driven by cloud services, subscriptions and enterprise software, as well as the company's growing role in artificial intelligence. Google took third place with a brand value of USD 433.1 billion, while Amazon finished fourth with USD 369.9 billion.
The most significant shift in the top ten was recorded by Nvidia, which moved up four places to fifth position. Its brand value grew by 110% year-on-year to USD 184.3 billion. It surpassed brands such as Facebook, Walmart and Samsung Group, mainly thanks to its key role in building global infrastructure for artificial intelligence.
The top ten also includedTikTok/Douyin, Walmart, Samsung Group, Facebook and the Chinese company State Grid. TikTok/Douyin moved up one place after a 45% increase in brand value, while Walmart fell in the rankings despite slight growth.
YouTube is the strongest brand
Brand Finance also assessed brand strength. A total of 37 brands received the highest possible AAA rating in 2026. YouTube became the world's strongest brand, achieving a brand strength index of 95.3 points out of 100. According to the survey, YouTube has a high level of awareness and willingness to watch across markets and serves not only as an entertainment platform but also as an educational and community platform.
The second strongest brand is China's WeChat, with Microsoft coming in third. Lego also ranks among the strongest brands, maintaining a high level of awareness across generations. The value of the Lego brand grew by 59% year-on-year to a record $17.6 billion.
The Global 500 ranking evaluates brands based on their financial performance, consumer perception and long-term strength in global markets. The evaluation is based on an independent analysis that includes a survey of 6,000 brands and more than 175,000 respondents in 41 countries and 31 industries.
Basic information
- The world's 500 most valuable brands increased their value by 11% to $10.4 trillion in 2026, outpacing the global economy's growth rate (3%).
- Apple remains the world's most valuable brand, while Microsoft is closing in on it and has surpassed the $550 billion mark in brand value for the first time.
- Revolut's brand value more than tripled in 2026, securing the company a place in the Global 500 for the first time.
- YouTube has become the world's strongest brand, with 37 brands in the top 500 receiving the highest AAA brand strength rating.
- OpenAI entered the ranking of the world's most valuable brands for 2026 for the first time, with this year's results reflecting the significant rise of artificial intelligence.
Source: mediaguru.cz