There are many lists of the largest companies in the world, but they all come with their own biases and methodologies. So, what are the biggest companies in the world, really? To answer that question, we first need to look at what constitutes a company. This article will use the definition from the World Bank, which is “a business organization formed for the purpose of making a profit by producing and selling goods or services.” This includes both private and public companies, as well as state-owned enterprises. It also includes companies from all industries, ranging from manufacturing to services to agriculture. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the biggest companies in the world, by market capitalization.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)
Apple Inc. is one of the biggest companies in the world by market capitalization. As of September 2017, the company was worth $820 billion. It is the most valuable company in the world, and the only one worth more than $800 billion. Apple is also the largest publicly traded company in the world by market capitalization.
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The company’s early products were personal computers, but it soon expanded into other areas, such as portable music players, smartphones, and tablets. Apple’s most successful products include the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac. Apple has a long and successful history of innovation. The company has been responsible for many groundbreaking products, such as the personal computer, the graphical user interface, the mouse, and the iPod. Apple is also a leader in cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco is one of the biggest companies in the world by market capitalization. It is also one of the most profitable companies in the world. Saudi Aramco’s net income for 2017 was $111.1 billion. The company has a market capitalization of $1.5 trillion. Saudi Aramco is a state-owned company. The Saudi government owns 100% of the company. The government is looking to sell a portion of the company in an initial public offering (IPO). The IPO is expected to be the largest in history. The company is planning to sell 5% of its shares. This would raise $100 billion. The company has vast oil and gas reserves. It has the world’s largest oil reserves. These reserves are the key to the company’s profitability. The company is also looking to expand its operations into other areas such as renewable energy.
Microsoft Corp.
Microsoft Corp. is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It is the world’s largest software maker by revenue. Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. Microsoft rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows in the mid-1990s. The company’s initial public offering (IPO), on March 14, 1986, was the largest in history at the time. Microsoft is a public company with more than 120,000 employees worldwide. In 2013, Microsoft acquired Nokia’s Devices and Services division for $7.2 billion. The company’s revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, was $77.8 billion.
Alphabet Inc.
There are a few reasons why Alphabet Inc. (formerly Google) is one of the biggest companies in the world by market capitalization. To start, it has a strong history of innovation and growth. The company was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Stanford University Ph.D. students who developed a search algorithm that could better index the internet. This innovation led to the creation of Google, the world’s most popular search engine.
Since then, Alphabet has continued to grow and innovate, expanding beyond its search roots into a wide range of businesses. The company now operates some of the world’s most popular websites and services, including YouTube, Gmail, and Android. Alphabet also has a large presence in the hardware market, with products like the Google Home smart speaker and the Pixel smartphone. Alphabet’s strong growth and diversification have helped it become one of the world’s most valuable companies. The company’s market capitalization currently exceeds $740 billion, making it one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world. Alphabet’s continued growth and innovation will likely keep it at the top of the list for years to come.
Overall, the biggest companies in the world are a major force in the global economy. They account for a significant share of global revenue and employ millions of people. Together, they are worth trillions of dollars.
