Apple builds monster market numbers

Just a decade after it was on the brink of bankruptcy, Apple has built a market value higher than that of Google, Cisco, and Intel.

As originally reported by Apple news site MacDailyNews, the company has built its market cap to some US$158bn, according to figures from Businessweek. On Thursday, Apple shares closed at US$179.32.

That number is nearly identical to that of Google. The company viewed by many as the quintessential internet success story also closed out Thursday with a US$158bn cap.

Apple still ranks far behind reigning tech king Microsoft, which boasts a cap of some US$254bn. The company is, however, ahead of such names as Intel (US$139bn) HP (US$112bn) and Cisco (US$145bn)

Apple's massive value is a far cry from the company's dark days of the mid-90's when questionable business decisions and slow sales placed the company on the verge of bankruptcy and brought Steve Jobs back into power.

The crisis lead to one of the most famous quotes in history when Michael Dell famously quipped to a crowd in 1997 that if were in charge of Apple he would 'shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders'.

Dell's market cap currently sits at US$51bn.