Of the ***** companies in the Forbes Global 2000 ranking, the United States had by far the highest number of companies at ***, followed by China at *** companies, and Japan at over *** companies.

The data cloud firm Snowflake reported that *** of its customers were listed on the Forbes Global 2000 as of the company's second fiscal quarter of 2025, which covers the three-month period leading to July 31, 2024. The Forbes Global 2000 ranks public companies by assessing sales, profits, assets and market value. As of July 31st, 2025, Snowflake reported ****** customers in total.

The top-ranked university in the United States in 2024 according to Forbes was Princeton University in New Jersey. Students at Princeton graduate with an average debt of 7,559 U.S. dollars, but have a median 10-year salary of 189,400 U.S. dollars. The Forbes rankings are based on several categories, including alumni salary, student debt, graduation rate, return on investment, retention rate, and academic success.

In 2025, according to the source's ranking, Apple was the most valuable brand in the world. The technology giant had an estimated brand value of about 574.5 billion U.S. dollars, followed by Microsoft that was worth 461.1 billion dollars. The global dominance of technology companies   A closer look at the 2024 brand ranking reveals that U.S. tech brands once again dominated the top-10 list. As a case in point, the business technology and services platforms industry was the highest-valued sector worldwide among the 100 most valuable brands in 2023. Meanwhile, consumer technology and services platforms ranked second on the list. The importance of brand value Brand value, not to be mistaken with brand equity, is a term used in the marketing industry to describe the value of brands. The term is based on the implication that products with a well-known brand name can generate more money than those with a less well-known name. Strong brands enhance business performance primarily through their influence on three key stakeholder groups: customers, employees, and investors. They influence customer choice and create loyalty; attract, retain, and motivate talent; and lower the cost of financing for the companies.

With a market capitalization of 3.12 trillion U.S. dollars as of May 2024, Microsoft was the world’s largest company that year. Rounding out the top five were some of the world’s most recognizable brands: Apple, NVIDIA, Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Amazon. Saudi Aramco led the ranking of the world's most profitable companies in 2023, with a pre-tax income of nearly 250 billion U.S. dollars. How are market value and market capitalization determined? Market value and market capitalization are two terms frequently used – and confused - when discussing the profitability and viability of companies. Strictly speaking, market capitalization (or market cap) is the worth of a company based on the total value of all their shares; an important metric when determining the comparative value of companies for trading opportunities. Accordingly, many stock exchanges such as the New York or London Stock Exchange release market capitalization data on their listed companies. On the other hand, market value technically refers to what a company is worth in a much broader context. It is determined by multiple factors, including profitability, corporate debt, and the market environment as a whole. In this sense it aims to estimate the overall value of a company, with share price only being one element. Market value is therefore useful for determining whether a company’s shares are over- or undervalued, and in arriving at a price if the company is to be sold. Such valuations are generally made on a case-by-case basis though, and not regularly reported. For this reason, market capitalization is often reported as market value. What are the top companies in the world? The answer to this question depends on the metric used. Although the largest company by market capitalization, Microsoft's global revenue did not manage to crack the top 20 companies. Rather, American multinational retailer Walmart was ranked as the largest company in the world by revenue. Walmart also had the highest number of employees in the world.

As of April 2025, Elon Musk was estimated as the wealthiest person in the United States with a net worth of around 342 billion dollars. Richest people in the United States - additional information Every year since 1982, the American business magazine Forbes has been compiling lists of the 400 richest people in the United States, known as the “Forbes 400.” In addition to that, since 1987, the publication has also been compiling a ranking of the 500 richest people in the world (excluding royalty and dictators), as well as more specialized tops, such as “World's Most Powerful Women,” “America's Richest Families,” “Most Valuable Brands” or “30 Under 30,” which focuses on young entrepreneurs from various fields which have gained millions in the past year by the use of social media, technical innovations and generally new and fresh approaches to business.

With the growth of the Chinese economy, an increasing number of Chinese companies are appearing on the Forbes Global 2000 list. **************** was the Chinese company with the largest market value. Its market value amounted to around ****** billion U.S. dollars in 2023. Chinese companies on Forbes Global 2000 China had the second highest number of companies on this list, trailing behind the United States. Among the first ten public companies on the Global 2000 ranking, three were companies headquartered in China. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) ranked as first Chinese enterprise on Forbes Global 2000 ranking. The leading four Chinese companies on the 2024 ranking are all from the financial sector. The rise of China's tech-giants Besides companies from the financial sector and energy sector, China's biggest internet companies Tencent and Alibaba also had good rankings. Both companies have grown significantly over the past years due to the rapid development of the internet business sector and the huge market in China. However, they have fallen back in the global ranking recently due to Beijing's tightened control of the tech sector. Both companies are investing a lot in the application of artificial intelligence to improve their working efficiency and clients’ experience.

As of 2021, Boston College had four alumni who were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Texas A&M University and the University of Pennsylvania also had four alumni who were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

According to the annual ranking of Forbes Global 2000 which measures the world's largest public companies, Shanghai Pharmaceuticals ranked first among the top Chinese pharmaceutical companies in terms of sales value in 2025, amounting to approximately 38 billion U.S. dollars. China Resources Pharmaceutical Group took the second place with 35.8 billion U.S. dollars in sales value. The third place belonged to Yunnan Baiyao Group with a sales revenue of 5.53 billion U.S. dollars. Staying ahead of the game China’s healthcare market is highly competitive with over 4,000 pharmaceutical players. Industry giants like Sinopharm and Shanghai Pharmaceuticals usually have strong control over distributor networks, which are essential for reducing costs and achieving faster growth. These market leaders have been eager to progress from an imitator to an innovator, spending hundreds of million yuan on developing new drugs and technology. In the eight-year span between 2015 and 2022, Shanghai Pharmaceuticals increased its research and development (R&D) costs from 618 million yuan to more than 2.8 billion yuan. In some firms, the share of sales revenue spent on R&D could reach as high as 12 percent. A highly competitive market When it comes to financial health in the pharmaceuticals industry, leading in sale revenue does not always mean yielding the highest profit. In terms of annual profit, the partly state-owned Sinopharm Group stood first again in the Forbes ranking in 2023. However, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine and Yunnan Baiyao Group overtook Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, and Jointown Pharmaceutical Group was down to the eighth spot. Given the long period of time between initial research and finally launching a product to the health market, it is always challenging for pharmaceutical companies to earn a profitable return on investment.

Dieter Schwarz, according to Forbes, was the wealthiest person in Germany as of 2025, with assets amounting to around 38.5 billion U.S. dollars. Dieter Schwarz is the owner of the Schwarz Gruppe, which owns both the supermarket chains Kaufland and Lidl. Klaus-Michael Kühne follows in second place. Among other things, he is the majority owner of the logistics company Kühne + Nagel International AG. Who are the richest people in Germany? Dieter Schwarz is the owner of the Schwarz Gruppe, which owns both the supermarket chains Kaufland and Lidl. In 2023, the Schwarz Gruppe recorded around 56.55 million euros in revenue. Karl Albrecht Jr. is the owner of the popular discount grocery store chain Aldi Süd. As of 2023, there were over 2,000 Aldi Süd stores in Germany. This, of course, does not include all the stores in other countries such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia, just to name a few. German salaries Germany currently has the highest GDP in Europe. However, this does not mean that everyone in Germany is a billionaire. The average salary is, in fact, around 48,380 euros. Although the trend is that German salaries have been on the rise since 2000, there has been a dip since 2019. This is probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the inflation of 2022.

In 2025, the Major League Baseball (MLB) team with the lowest franchise value was the Miami Marlins. The Florida-based team had a franchise value of 1.05 billion U.S. dollars that year. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees ranked as the most valuable franchise in 2025, with a value of 8.2 billion U.S. dollars. MLB revenue streams Major League Baseball teams have numerous sponsorship deals, which provide them with income from advertising on stadiums and in broadcast media. Another revenue stream for MLB teams is the sale of food, drinks, and other concessions at games. This includes the sale of traditional game day fare such as hot dogs, popcorn, and beer, as well as official merchandise such as jerseys, caps, and other memorabilia which provide additional revenue streams for the franchise. Take me out to the ball game MLB teams also generate revenue from ticket sales for regular season and playoff games, which includes individual game tickets, season tickets, and suite rentals. Overall, MLB attendance is consistently high, with many teams regularly selling out their stadiums. Despite a significant reduction in 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, attendance at MLB matches has rebounded in recent years, exceeding 28.5 thousand in 2024.

The average franchise value of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises increased nearly twentyfold between 2001 and 2024. In 2024, the average franchise value within the league amounted to 4.42 billion U.S. dollars. What is the most valuable NBA franchise? According to Forbes’ NBA Team Valuations, the Golden State Warriors had a value of 8.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, making them the most valuable team in the NBA. In second place were the New York Knicks, with a value of 7.5 billion U.S. dollars. When it came to revenue, which is a key indicator of franchise value, the Warriors also topped the rankings for NBA teams with the highest revenue in the 2023/24 season. In a distant second place were the New York Knicks, with a revenue of 543 million U.S. dollars. How do other leagues compare? In the rankings of the most valuable major sports leagues in North America, the National Football League (NFL) has been the clear leader for a number of years. In 2023, the average franchise value in the NFL increased by over 500 million U.S. dollars from the previous year to reach above five billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the NBA had the second-highest average franchise value among North American sports leagues, trailed by Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League in third and fourth, respectively.

During the 2023/24 season, the 30 franchises comprising the National Basketball Association (NBA) recorded a total revenue amounting to ***** billion U.S. dollars. This was an increase of over *** million dollars from the previous year. What are the NBA's main sources of revenue? Among the NBA's main sources of income are broadcasting deals, sponsorships, and gate receipts. In particular, the NBA's sponsorship revenue has consistently exceeded one billion U.S. dollars since the 2017/18 season. One of the league's main sponsors since then has been Nike, which is the league's official outfitter. Meanwhile, the share of overall revenue from gate receipts in the NBA was ***** percent in 2023/24. Which NBA team generates the most revenue? With a revenue of *** million U.S. dollars, the Golden State Warriors were the NBA team with the highest revenue in the 2023/24 season. Between 2015 and 2023, the Warriors were a dominant force in the NBA, appearing in six of eight finals and winning four championships, ending their trophy drought stretching back to 1975. However, the Warriors still have some way to go to match the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA teams with the most championships, with the Celtics winning a record **** championship title in 2024.

With just over 31.80 billion U.S. dollars in sales, Philip Morris International was the leader among tobacco companies around the world in 2023. The company, head-quartered in New York, sells its products in over 180 countries. Its most recognizable brand, launched in 1904, is Marlboro. The company was followed by British American Tobacco, makers of Camel, Lucky Strike, and Newport cigarettes. Imperial Tobacco, makers of Kool, and Winston cigarettes, came in third.

Altria restructuring

Despite having the most recognizable American cigarette brand, Philip Morris International does not sell cigarettes in the United States. In 2007, Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris Companies Inc.), spun off its international segments into the independent entity Philip Morris International.

The trend in smoking

Global cigarette consumption, which peaked in 2009, has been on a downward trend since then as more and more consumers are aware of the health risks associated with smoking. Sales of Philip Morris cigarettes have likewise been declining, dipping over 30 percent in the last 10 years. In spite of a trend which is troubling for a company that produces tobacco products, revenues of Philip Morris have remained somewhat stable over that time period.

In France in 2025, the four richest people were Bernard Arnault, owner of the group LVMH, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, L'Oréal's main shareholder, and the Wertheimer brothers, Gérard and Alain, businessmen and Chanel's main shareholders.

In the African region, the most valuable football team as of the 2023/2024 season was the Egyptian El Ahly, with a market value of 30.5 million euros. El Ahly was established in 1907, and since then it managed to be the most decorated club in Egypt and held the record as the team with the highest Confederation of African Football (CAF) champions league titles. The South African Mamelodi Sundowns FC followed closely with a value of 29.15 million euros. Another Egyptian and South African team followed, namely Pyramids FC and Orlando Pirates, with a market value of 21.73 million and 19.55 million euros, respectively. Furthermore, Zamalek SC ranked fifth with a market value of nearly 19.23 million euros.

Al-Ahly of Egypt dominate the CAF Champions League  

The 2022/2023 CAF Champions League kicked off on September 10 with the first preliminary round. The second preliminary round follows. There, ten teams exempted from the first round compete with the winners to reach the group stage. This is followed by two legs (Home and Away) of quarterfinals, semi-finals, and then a final. The final matches were on June 04, and June 11, 2023, between the defending champions Wydad Casablanca and Al-Ahly. The Egyptian team managed to deprive Wydad Casablanca of securing its fourth title and second consecutive title. Moreover, TP Mazembe and El Zamalek SC managed to win the CAF Champions League title five times each.

Large market value discrepancies from European leagues  

A large discrepancy can be easily recognized between African clubs and European clubs. In fact, the market value of the most valuable attacker and player in the Confederation of African Football , Victor Osimhen, stands at 120 million euros which is already higher than the market value of the most valuable club on the continent. Manchester City FC, the most valuable European football club had a market value of around 1.39 billion euros, while Arsenal followed with close to 1.32 billion euros as of June 2023.