When Apple Had More Cash Than the U.S. Treasury
This comparison was indeed possible in July 2011, but it involved specific balance-sheet measures on specific dates. Apple reported $75.876 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of June 25, 2011. The U.S. Treasury’s daily statement showed an operating cash balance of about $73.768 billion on July 27. At that point Apple’s reported amount was slightly higher.
That did not mean Apple was wealthier than the government or had greater spending resources. The comparison set a company’s liquid assets against the Treasury’s operating balance during the debt-ceiling debate; the government has tax receipts, borrowing capacity, and vastly larger obligations. It was a brief historical comparison of different measures, not a general measure of wealth.