With Apple's share price ballooning amongst rumours of the upcoming iPhone 5 and iPad mini, the company's value is now $US623 Billion, well infront of the record set by Microsoft of $US578 Billion during the internet boom.

Apple is now worth some 53% more than the second place holder Exxon Mobil.

It's quite an incredible feat considering Apple almost filed for bunkruptcy before Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997.