Costco is currently ranked #12 on the Fortune 500 list (2025), which ranks the largest corporations in the United States by total revenue. The retail giant, known for its warehouse club model, has maintained a position in the top tier of this list, often appearing just behind major companies like JPMorgan Chase.
As of 2025, Costco is ranked 12th on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. North America: United States.
The top 10 Fortune 500 companies for 2025, ranked by revenue, are led by Walmart, followed by Amazon, UnitedHealth Group, Apple, CVS Health, Berkshire Hathaway, Alphabet, Exxon Mobil, McKesson, and Cencora, showcasing a mix of retail, healthcare, tech, and energy giants dominating the U.S. economy based on their fiscal year 2024 earnings.
The #1 American company depends on the metric, but Walmart consistently ranks #1 by revenue (Fortune 500), while NVIDIA, Alphabet (Google), and Apple often lead in market capitalization (stock value). Recently, Ford was named the most "iconic" in a survey, highlighting different ways to define a top company.
NVIDIA is the largest company in the world, with a market cap of $4.56 trillion. NVIDIA is followed by Apple ($3.95 trillion), Alphabet ($3.83 trillion), Microsoft ($3.53 trillion), and Amazon ($2.49 trillion). Except for Berkshire Hathaway, all of the top 10 market cap companies are part of the technology sector.
The VOC: Still the Biggest Ever
Founded in 1602, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) peaked at a valuation of over $10 trillion in today's dollars. Backed by government charters and global monopolies, the VOC controlled huge parts of the spice trade, giving it unmatched economic power in its time.
Very generally speaking, the oldest company in the world is usually recognized as Kongo Gumi, the Japanese construction company that was founded in 578 AD. It operated operated continuously for over 1,400 years until it was absorbed by another firm in 2006.
The number 1 company on the 2025 Fortune 500 list (based on 2024 revenues) is Walmart, holding the top spot for the 13th consecutive year, followed by Amazon, UnitedHealth Group, and Apple. This ranking reflects U.S. companies by revenue, with Walmart generating over $680 billion in 2024.
Walmart (with a market cap of $884.2 billion) and Costco (with a market cap of about $380 billion) are worth comparing now as both navigate shifting consumer behavior, value-seeking trends and digital acceleration.
Its spartan warehouse stores require far fewer employees than the typical big-box store. But what keeps customers coming back, and keeps members renewing their memberships, is a consistently good shopping experience. With highly paid, happy employees, Costco delivers better than its retail rivals.
The company has the second-largest market cap in the consumer goods sector, according to research from The Motley Fool, reaching $435 billion. Only Walmart is larger, putting Costco in a very exclusive club. Investors love Costco stock, considering that it has nearly doubled in value over the past three years.
The "24-year-old trader making $8 million" refers primarily to Jack Kellogg, a successful day trader who reported over $8 million in gains from trading in 2020 and 2021, starting with just $7,500 and leveraging key indicators like VWAP, support/resistance, volume, and linear regression for simple, adaptable strategies. His story highlights achieving significant returns by weathering different market conditions, learning from losses, and sticking to core principles rather than overcomplicating things.
U.S. Wealth Distribution is Top Heavy
The rich half own about $156 trillion (or about 98% of it). The poorer half only own about $4 trillion. Breaking down that top half even further, the top 1% (1.3 million families) owns about $49 trillion (or about one-third of the total share) by themselves.
Top wealthiest companies in the world by market capitalization
Apple becomes the first $1 trillion global brand, Nvidia's value triples, report says | Reuters.
So, let's peel back the layers of corporate ownership and see how these companies that own brands quietly dominate grocery aisles, kitchens, and beyond.
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