Taking a break from all the travelling and movies, we are going to talk about money. Following is the list of ten of the most important and influential companies in the world from food to consumer electronics to consultancy, you name it. The companies are ranked based on their market cap and I’m sure you’ve heard of each and every one of these companies. Most of these companies are not very old and considering that they have made it this big is simply amazing. These are some big companies, and they mean serious business.
10. Philip Morris
The market cap of Philip Morris, the makers of Marlboro, is $112.66 Billion. Marlboro is the largest brand in the world when it comes to cigarettes. The first association that comes to mind when the word ‘Marlboro’ is used, is the ‘Marlboro Man’. The cigarette was introduced in 1924. The brand was primarily launched for women but it’s no longer exclusive. They sponsor many events especially the Formula One.
9. IBM
The market cap of IBM is $121.45 Billion. International Business Machines is now more of a consulting corporation. They are based in Armonk, New York, United States. They sell computer hardware and software and provide consultancy. Three companies were merged in the process, Tabulating Machine Company, International Time Recording Company and the Computing Scale Corporation. It was founded by Charles Ranlett Flint on the 16th of June 1911.
8. McDonald’s
The market cap of McDonald’s is $163.85 Billion. If you are talking about hamburgers, this is the first place that will come to your mind (in most cases) and their famous mascot, Ronald McDonald. They are headquartered in the United States. McDonald’s began in 1940 and they used to be a barbecue restaurant. The key founders of this joint include Richard, Maurice and Ray Kroc. They employ around 400,000 employees give or take. They primarily sell cheeseburgers, hamburgers and French fries (oh the French fries).
7. China Mobile
The market cap of China Mobile is $169.57 Billion. It is a state-owned company. They provide mobile services through their telecommunications network. They are the world’s largest mobile phone operators and they have over 835 million subscribers and over 240,000 employees. It was founded in 1997 and they serve China, Hong Kong and Pakistan. It was initially called China Telecom (Hong Kong) Limited although that changed in 1999.
6. Coca Cola
The market cap of Coca-Cola is $232.32 Billion. They are best known for their product Coca-Cola or Coke. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia. The company was started by John Pemberton but it was bought by Asa Griggs Candler and he led the company to where it stands today. It was introduced in 1886. Coca-Cola has many other variants such as, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero etc. This particular drink can be found anywhere in the world, and is by far the most famous beverage of all time.