Apple, NVIDIA, Revolut: The World’s Most Valuable Brands

Who are the world’s most valuable brands – and how much power do they really hold? 

According to research from Brand Finance, the world’s top 25 brands, many of which are industry giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon, represent more than 37% of total brand value in the company’s annual report on the world’s 500 most valuable and strongest brands.

Top performers include Apple, which has held its spot as the world’s most valuable brand, NVIDIA, which saw its brand value more than double to US$184.3bn and Revolut, which was the world’s fastest growing brands in terms of value for the year.

“Today, the commercial contribution of a strong brand is well recognised,” says David Haigh, Chairman and CEO of Brand Finance. “It drives demand, supports premium pricing, attracts and retains talent, increases resilience during uncertainty and provides confidence to investors. 

“Despite this awareness, many organisations still struggle to quantify brand value or explain its role in business performance. This lack of clarity often creates a gap between marketing ambition and financial decision-making, limiting the ability to invest for the long term.” 

The world's most valuable brands

Brands in the technology sector appear to be seeing some of the strongest growth as of late. 

Apple, for instance, has retained its position as the world’s most valuable brand, seeing 6% brand value increase to US$607.6bn – with the report calculating brand value by looking at how specific marketing actions change a brand’s attributes and lead to stakeholder behavioural change. 

According to the report, this is due to the company seeing growth in advertising, cloud services and the App Store, alongside steady demand across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. 

Revolut, meanwhile, emerged as the fastest growing brand within the 500 most valuable brands – seeing its brand value more than triple from US$1.9bn to US$6.6bn year-over year. Ranked at 391st, 2026 marks the first time Revolut has featured on this list. 

Antoine Le Nel, Global Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Revolut, has previously commented on the brand’s ambitious growth plans, telling Boardwave, “our ambition is to be bigger than JPMorgan”. 

The case for better brand investment

As marketing teams look to increase investments in their brands, Brand Finance recommends that marketing and finance teams should work together more closely – as strong brands regularly outperform their peers financially. 

In fact, analysis from LGIM – Legal and General’s asset management firm – between 2016 and 2025 has found that the top 100 global brands featured in Brand Finance’s ranking achieve 21% higher shareholder yield and a 22% higher return on equity, on average. 

According to Brand Finance, marketing teams should focus on educating stakeholders on the tangible financial benefits of brand investment, while also using key tools, data and strategies that will demonstrate this value in a measurable, actionable way. 

Companies that do prioritise a long-term investment in brand building, the report says, are more likely to be stronger, more differentiated and better positioned for sustained growth.