Silicon Valley has been the unofficial mascot of tech behemoths for years. But perhaps ironically, two of the largest technology leaders for decades don't directly hail from the Bay Area.

Cupertino, California-based is one of the most-recognized consumer electronics businesses of all time. From the iPod to the iPhone, Apple flourished under visionary leader Steve Jobs. Since 2011, the company has been led by Tim Cook. Under Cook's reign, Apple's market capitalization has increased nearly tenfold. At this writing, Apple's market cap was about $2.9 trillion.

But the company's longtime rival, Seattle-based Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), has quietly caught up to Apple's influence. For now, Microsoft is the most valuable company in the world -- worth over $3 trillion.

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Source Fool.com