Apple's market value touched $5.036 trillion (£3.79 trillion) on Tuesday afternoon before slipping back, making it the second company in history to reach the level. Shares hit $342.89 at the session high, and the company ended the day just short of holding the mark.
The figure is easier to write than to picture. Five trillion is five million million, and the gap between that and any sum a person handles is wide enough that the number stops meaning anything.
