This question will use CompaniesMarketCap.com's list of publicly traded companies for market capitalization. If Apple is dethroned from rank 1 on this list for any amount of time before the end of 2026, this question resolves YES. If for whatever reason I can't use this source to adjudicate the question, I will use credible alternatives sources.
To better assess this issue it is important to note that Apple's market cap as of October 30, 2023 is $2.93 trillion. The next most valuable company by market cap is Microsoft, at $2.34 trillion. Amazon is the third most valuable company, at $2.27 trillion.
Apple's market cap has grown by an average of 23% per year over the past five years and is now more than twice as large as it was five years ago. While Microsoft's market cap has grown by an average of 19% per year over the past five years. Amazon's market cap has grown by an average of 17% per year over the past five years.
These statistics suggest that Apple is currently in a strong position, but it is not invincible. Microsoft and Amazon are both closing the gap in terms of market cap. Additionally, there are other tech giants, such as Alphabet and Meta, that could also challenge Apple in the coming years. I believe that everything comes down to the development of AI and that whichever company can better implement artificial intelligence into both software and hardware will be the world's most valuable company. I understand that Microsoft's latest bet on Open-AI is very beneficial to the development of AI in their company, but Apple is known for seamlessly implementing new technologies in their products and systems. Finally, taking into consideration that Apple spends more than Microsoft on R&D, it is likely that Apple will continue to be the most valuable company by 2026.