“There’s a way to do it better – find it.” – Thomas Edison
Over time, society has evolved considerably. New technologies are adopted, and old ones are let go. There are periods where the world undergoes rapid change driven by an explosion in innovation – an example is the industrial revolution.
The result has been an ever-changing business landscape and a much larger economic pie.
In 2005, a scan of the largest companies in the world saw General Electric atop the list with a market capitalization of around $382 billion. Today, Apple NASDAQ: AAPL claims the top of the throne as the largest company in the world with a market capitalization north of $2 trillion.
What the Future Has In Store
In 2005, the internet was just gaining traction. Many of the technologies we enjoy today were either in their infancy or not yet invented. Take for example, e-commerce and iPhones.
Today, most of the largest companies in the world are taken by these technology companies.
It’s interesting to look at how these rankings have changed over time, and what they could look like down the road. The future largest companies in the world are generally attacking large addressable markets that sit close to the consumer. As well, they are generally run by high quality management teams.
Today, companies like Square NYSE: SQ are attacking global payments while Facebook NASDAQ: FB moves beyond advertising and into e-commerce.
Twitter: @_SeanDavid
The author or his firm have positions in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.
