Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) just dropped its annual list of what everyone was frantically typing into Google this year, and it's quite the mix. Between political drama, cultural phenomena, and some serious business stories, the 2025 trending searches tell us a lot about what moved markets and captured public attention.

The Overall Winners

Charlie Kirk's assassination topped the list as the most-searched term of 2025, with the Turning Point USA founder's death ranking as the third most-searched news story. It dominated the conversation in a way few events do.

But nestled among the political upheaval and cultural moments are some genuine business stories that mattered to investors. Here's the complete top 10 trending searches:

1. Charlie Kirk
2. KPop Demon Hunters
3. Labubu
4. iPhone 17
5. One Big Beautiful Bill Act
6. Zohran Mamdani
7. DeepSeek
8. Government Shutdown
9. FIFA Club World Cup
10. Tariffs

The top 10 news searches looked similar, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act leading, followed by Government Shutdown, Charlie Kirk assassination, Tariffs, No Kings protest, Los Angeles fires, New Pope chosen, Epstein files, U.S. Presidential Inauguration, and Hurricane Melissa.

The Market Movers Hidden in the List

Netflix (NFLX) scored big with "KPop Demon Hunters" landing at number two overall. The Sony Animation film became Netflix's most-watched movie of all time, which is saying something given the platform's massive catalog. The soundtrack topped charts, and Netflix smartly locked down consumer products deals with Mattel and Hasbro to keep the momentum going. There's already another movie in the works.

At number three, Labubu might sound unfamiliar to some, but the collectible toy became a global sensation that drove awareness for retailer Pop Mart (POPMF). Sometimes the weirdest cultural phenomena create the most interesting investment stories.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) claimed the fourth spot with the iPhone 17, which launched in September to strong demand both domestically and internationally. CEO Tim Cook wasn't shy about celebrating, noting the release helped Apple smash fourth quarter records and predicting even more records could fall in Q1. The bigger story? Apple is poised to overtake Samsung as the global smartphone leader for the first time in over a decade. That's a seismic shift in the mobile landscape.

The Disruptors and Drama

DeepSeek made the list at number seven, and for good reason. The Chinese AI startup sent shockwaves through U.S. tech stocks when it burst onto the scene in January. Its AI models proved surprisingly competitive, putting immediate pressure on AI-related stocks including Nvidia. Nothing gets investors' attention quite like unexpected competition from an unknown player.

And then there are tariffs, appearing at number 10 on the overall list and number four on the news list. President Donald Trump's tariff policies became a constant source of market volatility, repeatedly sending stocks lower whenever new tariffs were announced or percentages were raised on different countries. With the Supreme Court set to rule on the lawfulness of these tariffs soon, this story isn't going anywhere. Expect tariffs to be a trending topic in 2026 as well.

What's fascinating about Google's search trends is how they capture the intersection of culture, politics, and markets. People weren't just searching for stock tips; they were trying to understand how policy decisions, technological disruptions, and unexpected hits would affect the companies and economy around them. That curiosity is what drives markets forward, even when the answers are uncomfortable.