Such well-known companies as. The largest companies in the world. OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel

1. Apple

Year of foundation: 1976

Industry: IT, electronics

Apple Inc. was created by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. More than once in history, it was on the verge of collapse, but Jobs, who took the company's failures to heart, did everything for its success. Today Apple Inc. absorbed more than 30 companies.

Brand value:$ 87.1 billion

Price dynamics:+ 129% in 2012

The Apple brand has long become a sign of belonging to the cream of society: it is considered very prestigious to have an image of a bitten apple on a smartphone or computer, and even the heroes of modern films, as it were, casually demonstrate the company's new products on the screens.

It is Apple Inc. first began mass production of personal computers and the use of a graphical user interface. The main business of the firm was determined in 1984 at the same time as the creation of the 32-bit Macintosh. IPod audio player, iPhone touchscreen smartphone, iPad tablet computer are the most famous products of the company. The revolutionary design of devices gained popularity among consumers, and a competent PR campaign provided leadership in the electronic equipment and information technology market. As of February 2012, the capitalization of Apple Inc. exceeds the total value of its competitors - Google and Microsoft.

2. Microsoft

Year of foundation: 1975

Industry: software development

The company, led by two student friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen, began work with the creation of a Basic language interpreter for the Altair 8800 personal computer. In 1983, Allen left the growing Microsoft Corporation.

Brand value:$ 54.7 billion

Price dynamics:-2% for 2012

It is no coincidence that the Microsoft brand took the top spot in the consumer perception rankings. The respondents note the positive impact of the company on their lives and the fact that its services meet individual needs. Microsoft Corporation is a leader in software production: it has developed a family of Windows operating systems, programs for working with Microsoft Office documents, as well as the infamous Xbox, a game console that has become a serious competitor to Sony PlayStation 2. The company's products are sold in more than 80 countries around the world, and programs have been translated into more than 45 languages.

In recent years, the corporation has been attacked by the EU antitrust commission, and Microsoft Corporation has repeatedly paid heavy fines. However, until now, the company remains the most popular and respected among consumers.

3. Coca-Cola

Year of foundation: 1886

Industry: production of soft drinks

The author of the Coca-Cola drink is pharmacist John Stith Pemberton from Atlanta, and the name was invented by its accountant Frank Robinson. At first, the novelty was used as a cure for "any nervous disorders" and was sold at Jacobs's pharmacy for five cents a glass.

Brand value:$ 50.2 billion

Price dynamics:+ 8% in 2012

Few people know that the modern image of Santa Claus - a well-fed old man in red clothes with white trim - the United States and the whole world owe it to Coca-Cola. If earlier on Christmas Elf came to Catholics in green stockings, now, thanks to the efforts of the marketing department of The Coca-Cola Company, for more than 80 years their brand has been firmly associated in the minds of people with the main holiday of the year.

Coca-Cola is sold in over 200 countries around the world. Despite the fact that in the United States itself, the demand for the drink has decreased over the past seven years, it is still the most popular in its segment. In 2011 alone, The Coca-Cola Company sold 26.7 million cases of soda.

More than once Coca-Cola has been harshly criticized for its composition and effect on the human body, but the drink is still very much loved by consumers. The main thing is to observe the measure.

Year of foundation: 1889

Industry: IT

IBM founder Herman Hollerith got his start with the creation of an electric tabulator. During World War II, the company produced small arms, and in the 1950s, the SAGE computerized missile defense system was created.

Brand value:$ 48.5 billion

Price dynamics:+ 8% in 2012

"Blue giant" is the informal name for IBM, and it lives up to the name. She is responsible for the creation of the first American Mark I computer, the first Saber flight booking system, the development of dynamic random access memory and floppy disks, and the mass production of the IBM PC, the architecture of which became the standard for the industry and contributed to the onset of the computer revolution.

In the 1990s, it was difficult for IBM to compete with other companies, but expanded consulting activities improved its business and still generates more than half of the firm's revenues.

IBM owns a huge research base and for 20 years has been breaking records for the number of patents for inventions: in 2011, their number was 6,180. Also, its employees received five Nobel Prizes.

5. Google

Year of foundation: 1997

Industry: Internet

The Google search engine emerged as a research project by Stanford University students Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The name of the company comes from the garbled word googol, meaning ten to the hundredth power.

Brand value:$ 37.6 billion

Price dynamics:+ 26% in 2012

"Google" - this neologism denoting information search on the Internet using Google, is so firmly entrenched in modern slang that users often use it in relation to other systems. However, the company itself is strongly opposed to such treatment of their brand and in 2006 demanded “to use words derived from Google only when it comes to Google Inc. or its services ".

Under the Google brand, with the help of the most advanced technologies, a world has been created in which any Internet user can easily navigate and find everything he needs: here is the search engine, and e-mail, and the popular video hosting YouTube, and blogs, and a social network, and much more. The company has also developed the Google Chrome browser, which is the leader in terms of the number of users.

6. Intel

Year of foundation: 1965

Industry: semiconductors

The company was founded by two talented inventors - Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. They were soon joined by Andrew Grove, who later managed to bring Intel Corporation out of the crisis, a textbook example often cited in business schools.

Brand value:$ 32.3 billion

Price dynamics:+ 12% in 2012

This is the most "masculine" brand: despite the fact that Intel in the rating of consumer perception took 6th place, in the survey among men it was on the top line. The vast majority of personal computers run on microprocessors of the x86 family (trademark Pentium), created by Intel Corporation. It manufactures a wide range of electronic devices and PC components, chipsets and more.

The revolutionary developments of the company have influenced the world today, radically changing it. In fact, such giants of the information technology industry as Apple and Microsoft could not exist without Intel Corporation, because it created the heart of modern computers - the microprocessor. Almost from the very beginning, the company has become a leader in its field, and competitors are simply lost against its background.

7. McDonald's

Year of foundation: 1940

Industry: catering

The founders of the company are two brothers - Richard and Maurice McDonald. However, in 1954, Ray Kroc acquired the right to franchise McDonald's from them. Six years later, he became the full owner of the company and developed its activities around the world.

Brand value:$ 37.4 billion

Price dynamics:+ 13% in 2012

Two yellow arches, brought together in the letter "M", have long become a recognizable symbol of McDonald's. Here you can have a quick and hearty snack while paying little money - that's why huge queues always line up in front of the ticket office. McDonald's cafes are located in 119 countries of the world, serving about 68 million people daily.

The "McDonaldization" of society has drawn strong criticism of the cafe menu and the company's business practices. In 2003, the Merriam-Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary even coined the term "McJob," meaning "low-paying jobs that require little skill and little room for development." Earlier this word was used in the novel "Generation X" by the American writer Douglas Copeland. Despite negative reviews, McDonald's remains the world's most popular food service chain.

Year of foundation: 1878

Industry: production of electrical, energy, medical equipment

World renowned inventor Thomas Edison founded the company originally called Edison Electric Light. After merging with Thomson-Houston Electric, it received its modern name and organized mass production of light bulbs.

Brand value:$ 33.7 billion

Price dynamics:+ 2% in 2012

It is the world's largest non-financial multinational company. General Electric manufactures household appliances and lighting, medical equipment, aircraft engines and even locomotives. She was the first to organize the mass production of electric refrigerators and washing machines, and her landmark product is the M134 Minigun multi-barreled heavy machine gun, first used in the Vietnam War.

Although General Electric's business has deteriorated somewhat in recent years, the company remains an industrial giant in its industry. It even launched a cost-cutting program and continues to restructure its business, which allowed it to increase profits by 49% in the 3rd quarter of 2012 to $ 3.49 billion. Additionally, GE was ranked 16th in the Fortune Global 500 in 2011.

Year of foundation: 1916

Industry: Automotive industry

The company was originally created by Karl Friedrich Rapp for the production of aircraft engines: the blue and white BMW emblem was interpreted as an aircraft propeller against the sky. The company now claims that the colors are taken from the flag of Bavaria, where BMW AG was founded.

Brand value:$ 26.3 billion

Price dynamics:+ 18% in 2012

The popularity of this brand has always been very high, and after the "Bond" the interest in it only increased: agent 007 was driving the legendary BMW. A high-quality, reliable and fast car has long won the love and respect of consumers. The company's success can be called a foregone conclusion: many records were set on BMW aircraft engines, and Ernst Henne became the fastest motorcyclist in the world on a BMW motorcycle.

Today BMW AG is the world market leader in the sale of luxury cars. One of the secrets of the company's success, its CEO Norbert Reithofer, called maintaining the BMW brand: “For us, this is everything. First of all, a brand is a promise that a consumer will receive a product with a certain set of qualities and a product under this brand deserves the attitude you expect. "

10. Cisco

Established: 1984

Industry: telecommunications

The company was founded by spouses Leonard Bossack and Sandra Lerner, who worked at Stanford University. The name Cisco is derived from the acronym San Francisco, and the logo is a stylized image of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Brand value:$ 26.3 billion

Price dynamics:+ 7% in 2012

This is, perhaps, one of those "whales" on which all modern telecommunications infrastructure and the Internet are held together. It is Cisco that manufactures the highest quality networking equipment, striving to provide customers with everything they need.

At first, the company was engaged in the production of only routers (network computers that forward data packets between different network segments. - Ed.), But since then its range has expanded significantly. Now Cisco also manufactures universal gateways, cable modems, DSL equipment, video surveillance systems, and servers. You can call Cisco a monopoly in its field, because the world's leading organizations and Internet providers turn to the company for products. In Russia, Cisco plans to participate in the creation of the Skolkovo innovation center by forming the Academy of IT Professionals on its territory.

The ranking is based on the list presented by Forbes magazine in 2012. The criterion for its formation was the assessment of companies' incomes over the past three years and the share of their profits in their industry. Also, consulting firms Landor and PSB conducted a survey among consumers to create a rating of their perception.

Text: Ksenia Menshchikova

Today, well-known brand names are on everyone's lips. We get used to them and do not think about the fact that someone once invented these names, that there are stories behind them. And, meanwhile, the "life" of brands is very interesting, they are constantly fighting for places in a kind of "hit parades", ratings by popularity and value. Let's talk about the most famous brands in different areas.

Name selection methods

Naming development process. There are several ways to create a successful name for a product or company. The first is the simplest, when the brand is simply called the surname or the name of the creator. This is how Ford, Prada, Bosch, Dell and many others glorified their names.

Another popular way to create names is with abbreviations. Most often, parts or letters of the names and surnames of the creators are taken, letters of phrases can also be connected. This is how the names of MTS, Lenovo, IBM, HP arose. Brand names can appear as a result of the use of existing or made-up words. This is how the brands Apple, Volkswagen, BlackBerry appeared. Usually, in the course of promotion, the name and logo are associated with a certain story, legend, real or fictitious. In marketing, this is called brand mythologization.

Unusual brand names

Everyone knows the name "Nokia", but few people know what it means. Initially, the company owned a paper mill, one of the factories was built on the Nokianvirta river, a shortened version and became the name for the new company. Often, brand names are associated with mythological characters. The most unusual way of using the name of a mythical creature is represented by the Asus company. Creating the concept of the future company, the owners wrote a list of its inherent qualities: strength, adventurous spirit, speed. All these properties turned out to be inherent in the legendary horse from ancient Greek myths, Pegasus (in the original spelling - Pegasus). But the owners of the firm wanted the name to put the firm at the top of the telephone directory. So the first syllable from the horse's name disappeared and "Asus" appeared.

The Volvo car got its name from the Latin phrase "I roll" after the ball bearings that the organization originally produced. Volkswagen, whose name is the German phrase "people's car", followed the same principle. But the most legendary is probably the name of the Apple brand. Steve Jobs, the brand's creator and eminent marketer, has told at least three versions of the story behind the name.

Most expensive brands

Building a brand requires a lot of investment, and companies deliberately go into these costs. After all, a catchy, attractive name helps to increase sales. Today there is a struggle between brands for capitalization, which allows you to receive additional income only for the name. The rating of brands changes annually, so it is impossible to compile the only correct order and list of the most expensive brands in the world.

But the group of leaders in recent years has constantly included such brands as:

• Apple... The already mentioned brand has existed since 1976. Its capitalization is several hundred billion dollars. The logo for the brand was created by designer Rob Yanov. At first it was a black and white drawing, then a multi-colored version familiar to many was created. For 22 years he "lived" in a rainbow form, but then again returned to the original image.

American history

The USA is the birthplace of marketing and this is where the first brands emerge. In addition to the already named Apple, Coca-Cola, Google and others, there are other famous American brands. Among them are:

• Disney. The famous film studio today is a real corporation. Toys, clothes, sweets are released under the Disney brand.
• Nintendo. The company producing video game consoles and computer games is well known to young people all over the world.
• Starbucks. The network of famous coffee houses is spread all over the world today. And she appeared in the United States in 1971. Today the value of the company is estimated at several billion dollars.
• Whole Foods Market. The chain of stores of high-quality products is conquering the whole world today, and it was created in the USA.

Many have won worldwide fame. For example, it is worth remembering DC Shoes, Diesel, Levi's, Converce, Amazon. Today, US brands are examples of profitable brand building.

Famous German brands

The second country - the birthplace of world famous brands can be called Germany. Consumers associate this state with reliability and quality. Not surprisingly, many German brands are car brands.

BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi are the real glory of the country and bring their owners a hefty profit. Also such famous brands as "Adidas", "Puma", "Bogner", "Hugo Boss" were born in Germany. This country is the birthplace of many high-tech brands, for example, Siemens, Bosch, Grundik. In addition, large cosmetic brands such as Fa, Nivea, Henkel were born in Germany.

Sports brand names

Today, many no longer remember the times when sportswear was an attribute only of stadiums and gyms. We're used to seeing sports emblems on our casual wear to go to work, walk or date. Such changes are associated with the promotion of sportswear brands. The fashion for such equipment in the ordinary wardrobe appeared thanks to brand managers who formed love and adherence to their brands among ordinary people.

Today, the most famous sports emblems and brands bring colossal profits to their owners. The most famous sports brands are: Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics, Umbro, New Balance, Reebok.

Domestic brands

Russia started branding its products just 25 years ago. But some famous domestic brands appeared much earlier. Today the brands of Russia are the glory and pride of the country. The most famous brands of the Soviet era include Lada, Aeroflot, Kalashnikov, Kamaz.

But even in modern times, brands that have received worldwide fame appear in Russia, among them: the software company ABBYY, the company that produces antivirus programs, Kaspersky Internet Security, the Raketa watch, the raw materials company Gazprom.

Popular clothing brands

After food, clothing is one of the most frequently purchased items. Over the past 40 years, a culture of brand consumption has been formed in the world, which has been created by clothing manufacturers. Fashion brands have become part of the lifestyle, part of popular culture. There is also a mass market, each segment has its own leaders.

• Versace... The Italian luxury fashion brand was founded in 1978.
• Gucci... One of the oldest Italian luxury clothing brands was created in 1922.
• Hermes... Popular is an authoritative trendsetter all over the world, was established in 1837.
• Prada... The most famous brand that produces luxury clothing, footwear and accessories was born in Italy in 1913.
• Louis Vuitton. The company was founded in 1854 in Paris and initially specialized in the production of luxury suitcases and travel bags. Today clothes, shoes, accessories are sold under this brand.
• Dolce & Gabbana. Italian blowing tailors opened their fashion house in 1982. The brand is distinguished by its daring and unique style.
• Mango. appeared in 1984, represents the upper segment of the mass market.
• Benetton. The Italian clothing brand was created in 1965 and at first specialized in the production of knitwear, today it produces clothing for men, women and children.

Fashion brands are often born, unlike, for example, automobile brands. More and more there is a specialization of brands according to their audience and characteristics.

Famous product brands

The most bought in the world are popular food brands. Advertising from childhood teaches people to use the names of brands, which become the norm of consumption and sometimes even proper names. Today the names of brands are known all over the world: "Danone", "Nestlé", "Mars", "Unilever", "Kraft Foods". They combine several brands and different products. Every year, the struggle between outstanding brands only intensifies. They advertise their products more and more actively, pushing aside the smaller ones, in particular, national producers, from the buyer.

The average person has to spend up to eight hours a day at work, which is a third of his life. Find someone who wants to do something to which the soul does not lie, which is even hateful. It is even difficult to imagine how many such “lucky ones” who dream of a good job. And in this concept, everyone puts their own meaning. For some, there is nothing of a salary and a social package for it, for someone give an excellent team that does not know quarrels and intrigues, and someone dreams of prospects and satisfaction of personal ambitions.
But no matter how different the desires are, everyone agrees with one statement. There is more than one dream company in the world in which it is profitable and interesting to work. Want to know which ones are the "best"?

10. DreamWorks Animation

The animation studio is very attractive for employees, because premieres are available to employees, and free meals and a yoga session once a week are a real pleasure for the company's employees. And what is especially valuable, any employee can ask even an inconvenient question to a manager of any level without any problems.

9. Recreational Equipment

The company values ​​and encourages the loyalty of its workforce. Anyone who has worked for this chain of stores for 15 years can go on an extreme trip paid by it for four weeks. And so every five years.

Employees who purchase sports equipment receive discounts of up to 75%, and if they participate in any adventure of extreme sportsmen, the company pays a certain amount as compensation for the equipment.

8.

Employees in this company are actively involved in corporate events, which they learn about from large screens installed in all stores of the chain. They have to be especially careful in order to become the owners of awards .. In addition, each of them has a 10% discount in the stores of the chain.

7.

It was the crisis that caused the employees of this real estate management company to cut wages or transfer some of them to other structures. But the trust in the company is so great that no one has filed a single lawsuit. On the contrary, it is known about a collective appeal supporting her; a dance flash mob was even organized. The management of the company appreciated this loyalty and gave employees the right to rent apartments owned by the company at a discounted price, going on vacation to selected cities in the United States.

6.

For shoe sellers in this online store, free food is the norm. But this will surprise few people. But a coach who will help to achieve a goal, personal or professional, and always advise on the meaning of life - not every employer can boast of this.

5.

It continues to hire new employees, but the remuneration of those who work hard and responsibly does not diminish. Each employee has permanent food benefits: on Tuesdays - fruit, on Fridays - bagels with cheese, every day - unlimited espresso. And everything is free.

4.

This word is known to everyone who is friends with the Internet. But few people, especially in Russia, know that a company with such a name is not just an example of stability. Even the social package of this company is a whole system. Free lunches, the opportunity to practice climbing walls in separate offices, an unusual bonus system. Bonuses at the expense of the company for a job well done are given out by the company itself, and any programmer - to his distinguished colleague.

3.

The Russian shopper is completely unaware of this chain of stores, but it is known to be very customer friendly. There are excellent conditions for workers. Although not every employee in Russia will consider it happiness to call for participation in a weight loss program in eight weeks, walking ten thousand steps, and receive fruit in the amount of five servings per shift.

2.

How many employers got rid of their employees in the crisis 2008-2009, but not Boston. Not a single one was fired here, on the contrary, they hired new employees.

It is very important that any employee of the company has the opportunity, with the approval of the management, to arrange a transfer and, instead of sitting in a warm office, participate in the implementation of some food program for the population of the poorest countries in the world.

1. SAS

No. 1 in the world. Widely known in the field of software development. Lucky not only for her employees, but also for their families. The social package in the company is simply immense. Many other companies, including Russian ones, have departmental kindergartens, but a beauty salon and a car wash are among the company's social facilities - not many can boast of this. And this is not a complete list.

SAS management is confident that an employee who does not have any everyday problems, who is given everything he needs, will show all his abilities at the place where he works.

Today we have top of the 10 most valuable companies in the world.

Today, the company logo is likely to be recognized by many people, because Apple Corporation has truly become one of the most successful companies with a market value of more than $ 720.12 billion.

The company was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Jobs. Initially, the trio were engaged in assembling home computers and releasing their own PC models, but the greatest success came precisely in the last years of the company, when Apple introduced the world to its line of mobile products - iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets.

Today the range of the company's products is very wide - smartwatches, computers and laptops, tablets and smartphones, etc. But the main feature of the popularity of "apple" gadgets is the high quality, stylish design and the smartest marketing program of Steve Jobs.

Today the company includes thousands of representative offices, brand stores and service centers around the world, with a staff of about 132 thousand employees.

The headquarters is located in the USA, in Cupertino, California.

$ 482.36 billion

Industry: Insurance, finance, rail transport, utilities, food and non-food products.

The company is known for its permanent owner, American investor and entrepreneur Warren Buffett. The headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

The cost of one share of this company is $ 293,750, which makes it the most valuable share in the world.

Affiliated companies:

• GEICO (auto insurance);
• General Re (reinsurance);
• Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group (insurance);
• Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group (insurance and reinsurance);
• BNSF - (railway transport);
• Berkshire Hathaway Energy (electricity and gas supply);
• McLane Company (wholesale).

In 2015, the number of participants in the annual meeting of shareholders exceeded 40 thousand people.

For this reason, the meeting of shareholders of the company received the playful nickname "Woodstock for Capitalists".

$ 413.25 billion

Industry: Internet.

Facebook was developed by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004. Today, the social network Facebook is visited by over 1.86 billion people every day. For one Internet project, with a market value of $ 413.25 billion, it is simply an astronomical indicator of popularity and demand.

Today Facebook generates over $ 8 billion in net revenue per year from advertising. In addition, facebook is the leader among this list in terms of profitability, as in the last year alone, it increased its net profit by 54%.

The headquarters are located in Menlo Park, California.

$ 400.90 billion

Industry: Conglomerate.
Products: Social networks, instant messaging, media, web portals, etc.

Tencent is a venture capital firm, conglomerate, investment holding and one of the largest companies in the gaming industry.

This is a Chinese multinational investment holding company founded in 1998. Today it occupies the 7th position in the ranking of the most expensive companies.

Its many services include social media, mobile games, music, web portals, payment systems, e-commerce, internet services, smartphones and online multiplayer games, which are among the largest and most successful in the world in their respective categories.

Tencent Seafront Towers (also known as Tencent Binhai Mansion) is headquartered in Nanshan District, Shenzhen.

$ 392.25 billion

Industry: Internet.
Products: E-commerce, online auction hosting, online money transfers, mobile commerce.

Industry: Banking.

JPMorgan Chase is the largest commercial bank in the United States and the 6th largest commercial bank in the world by assets.

The nucleus for the formation of JPMorgan Chase was Chemical Bank, from which it inherited the headquarters and history of stock prices.

J.P. Morgan, historically known as Morgan, provides investment banking, asset management, private banking, and wealth management.

Location: USA, New York, Manhattan, 270 Park Avenue.

Market capitalization as a method for assessing the value of a company

Market capitalization, along with annual income and the sum of all assets, is one of the methods for assessing the investment attractiveness of a company.

Using market capitalization to represent company size is important because company size is a major determinant of the various characteristics that investors are interested in, including risks.

As the product of the number of shares by their value, market capitalization is not the price at which the owner will necessarily sell his company.

Despite the fact that companies are overvalued by the market or, on the contrary, underestimated, in order to get the real value of the company, it is necessary to consider its activities from a fundamental point of view.

December 25 is the birthday of Conrad Hilton, the man who built the hospitality empire and took the hospitality industry to the next level. Hilton corporation and 9 other legendary companies of our time - in a special ELLE review.

Microsoft

Microsoft founder Bill Gates showed his talent as a programmer while still in school by designing a lesson schedule that allowed him to be in a class with as many girls as possible every time. Who would have thought then that ahead of the savvy teenager - the creation of a multinational corporation that will develop the world's most popular operating system Windows. Gates decided to found his own business in 1975, and in less than forty years his brainchild has gone from three employees and 16 thousand dollars in a bank to the status of a business giant (almost 90 thousand people in the state) and the largest manufacturer of software, mobile phones and computing technology. By the way, if you decide to try your luck and become part of the Microsoft team, keep in mind that the company is very pleased to welcome women into its ranks and even runs summer camps for high school girls to spark their interest in the industry. But despite this, be prepared for an extraordinary selection procedure (for example, during testing, candidates have to answer questions such as "why are sewer manholes in a round shape"), as well as fierce competition - on average, one vacancy in the company accounts for an average of 1 million 300 thousand resumes.

McDonald's

Brothers Mac and Dick MacDonald pioneered fast food, opening the first self-service restaurant in December 1948. It is likely that their business would have remained a California-wide project if it were not for a nimble supplier of cocktail mixers named Ray Kroc, who, by the way, was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time he met the McDonald's. It was he who believed in the future of the company and launched the sale of franchises, and in 1961 bought the business from the brothers for $ 2.7 million. The company was founded by him in 1955, and already in 1965 he operated more than 700 restaurants in the United States. The first overseas McDonald's opened in Canada in 1967, after which the hamburger corporation began its triumphant march across the planet. In Russia, the opening of the first McDonald's took place on January 31, 1990 and caused an incredible stir: as many as 30 thousand people lined up in line for overseas cheeseburgers, despite the frost. By the way, respecting the local traditions of different countries, the company adapts the menu and the presentation of dishes: for example, there is no Big Mac in the menu of restaurants in India, but there is Maharaja Mac made from lamb meat. In total, McDonald's has more than 35 thousand restaurants in the world, and despite the scandals and litigation (it is worth remembering at least the story of the sensational documentary Double portion, as well as the recent trial won by Jamie Oliver), the company remains incredibly popular : more than 70 million people become its clients every day.

Dell

Michael Dell did not excel at school, but at the age of 12 he showed an outstanding talent as an entrepreneur, earning $ 2,000 thanks to the distribution of a subscription to the magazine. A simple craft opened up the technique of direct sales for the young businessman: Dell recognized the names of newlywed new settlers by sending them greeting cards with an offer for a two-week free subscription. Amazingly, this technology of direct selling later became the proprietary know-how of the Dell business empire - a developer, manufacturer and seller of computers, servers and software. The company (which Dell founded at the age of 19, having $ 1,000 in his pocket) for the first time in its industry refused to work with intermediaries and excluded warehouses from the business chain: computers are assembled here only by order from a client and delivered directly to the buyer, offering them as bonus constant service support, minimum prices and numerous gifts-bonuses. It was Dell that pioneered the sale of computers over the Internet for the first time in its industry. Unsurprisingly, with such bold innovation and exceptional customer focus, the corporation topped Fortune's 2005 Companies of Admiration list.

Inditex

If the name of the Spanish company Inditex says little to you, believe me, you are very familiar with its brands: Zara, Oysho, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius - and this is not the whole list. The history of the corporation began in the 70s, when the Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega decided to open a store of inexpensive but fashionable clothes and named it Zara. The business turned out to be successful, Ortega continued to open more and more new stores, which in 1985 formed the Inditex holding. Further - more: within the framework of the corporation, new brands were born, each with its own style and target audience, then there were stores of textiles, accessories, footwear. Thanks to the variety of brands and the ability to instantly respond to the dynamics of demand, Inditex has become a real business empire, demonstrating fantastic growth rates. Today the company owns more than 5 thousand retail outlets on all 5 continents and does not plan to stop there.

Disney

The most popular empire of family entertainment, Disney Corporation has gone from a tiny studio in a garage to one of the world's strongest giants in nine decades. Animation was a clear vocation of Disney: he began to draw comics from the age of seven, took a course in caricature and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. Starting in 1923 with cartoons about Alice in Wonderland, five years later he introduced Mickey Mouse to the public (who, by the way, he voiced himself), and seven years later he received an Oscar - the first of a record 29! In 1937, Disney presented the world with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the highest-grossing film of all time (surpassed only by Gone with the Wind), opening an era of full-length cartoons. This was followed by the classic "Bambi", "Dumbo", "Beauty and the Beast", the company gained a whole army of fans. After numerous letters from viewers asking them to visit his studio, Disney decided to open a new business - an amusement park, which eventually became the key to the financial stability of the company and made Walt's heirs billionaires: by 1960, income from Disneyland exceeded the income from the work of the film studio. Today, Walt Disney Productions, the second (after Time Warner) media holding, owns several film and recording studios, 535 brand stores, several newspapers and magazines, its own TV network, hockey and baseball teams, parks around the world, and an annual turnover is $ 21 billion. I wonder what kind of baggage the Disney empire will carry for the centenary?

LVMH

Guerlain, Givenchy, Hennesy, Bulgari, Marc Jacobs, Benefit, Don Peregnon and many, many more iconic luxury brands are all LVMH. The French concern, owned by the Bernard Arnault family and today the world's largest luxury goods manufacturer, was founded in 1987 through the merger of two key market players - Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy. The deal marked the beginning of numerous acquisitions and mergers, the largest of which could be the aborted 1999 acquisition of Gucci. The luxury empire, with a turnover of over € 20 billion per year, includes companies producing clothing, watches, wine and spirits, leather goods, perfumery and cosmetics. The LMHV corporation also includes an auction firm, financial publications, an art magazine, hotels and a radio station. Having declared luxury to be its passion, the company strives for perfectionism in everything and is actively working to find and develop talent. In addition to direct business development, LVHM pays attention to charity and responsible business conduct: the company supports a number of social projects and medical institutions, sponsors art events, and also deals with the preservation and restoration of cultural monuments.

Apple

It is even somewhat ridiculous to define Apple as a "personal computer manufacturer." I want to talk about this business empire, which has created a real cult out of its products, extremely superlatively: created by the legendary Steve Jobs on April 1 (they were joking, they were joking) in 1976, Apple is today the most valuable company in the world. Every minute she earns $ 300 thousand, the amount in her company bank account sometimes exceeds the amount stored in the US Treasury account, and in the first quarter of 2014 alone, Yabloko earned more than Google, Facebook and Amazon combined. Setting record after record, in March 2014 the company sold its 500 millionth IPhone, and, apparently, is not going to stop there - the covenant of founder Jobs “to remain insatiable” seems to have become the unspoken motto of the corporation.

L'Oreal

Hilton

Waving his hand at the unfulfilled dream of becoming a banker, 31-year-old from a grocer's family, Conrad Hilton decided to try his luck in the hotel business. His first hotel, the Dallas Hilton, opened in 1925, he was determined to make the best hotel in Texas - and eventually created a hospitality empire. Even the Great Depression, which hit America powerfully in the 1920s, did not stop Hilton: forced to cede his company to creditors, five years later he bought it out and resumed active work, and in 1954 stunned the whole of America by making a major deal and buying his the main competitor - Statler Hotels - for $ 111 million. By the late 1960s, Hilton owned more than 40 hotels in the United States, plus the same number overseas. The success of the Hilton business empire was built on numerous innovations that are today considered an integral part of the hospitality industry. So, it was Hilton who came up with the "star" (by analogy with cognac) hotel rating system. He also proposed integrating hotels and casinos (which instantly increased the number of customers), opening hotels at the airport and prioritizing service quality. In addition, Hilton loved visiting competitors' hotels, observing the atmosphere and customer behavior. It was in the Hilton corporation that a system of encouraging regular customers was introduced, an information and reference system for booking rooms together with air and railway tickets, and even the Pinacolada cocktail was created at the Hilton Hotel. Today the corporation has 3800 hotels of various levels in 88 countries. It is noteworthy, by the way, that after the death of Conrad Hilton, the empire he built became, in accordance with his will, the property of the Hilton Foundation. However, one of the businessman's sons managed to challenge his father's dying will in court, and a few years later the business empire returned to the “bosom of the Hilton family”.

Virgin group

In 1967, the headmaster of the school, which Richard Branson graduated from, said goodbye to his (far from the best) student with these words: “Congratulations, Richard! You will either go to jail or become a millionaire. " The prediction came true: Branson became one of the most famous - and most outrageous - wealthy of our time, and his company - the greatest conglomerate of diverse business lines. It all started with an idea as bold as it is absurd: suffering from dyslexia and, accordingly, having not read a single book, Branson decided ... to publish a magazine! From a magazine he went to a record store, from stores to a record label, and it started: hot air balloon operator, publishing house, international air travel, bridal clothing, online jewelry and cosmetics, vodka production, comic book making, condoms ... What is more striking in this endless list is the scale or the spread. Even Branson himself is rumored to be unsure exactly how many companies belong to his fantastic multibrand, which now has a combined revenue of $ 24 billion. It is obvious that the secret of Virgin's success lies in courage bordering on insanity: it is not for nothing that Branson chose the name Virgin for his business as a designation of a "virgin" approach to business and the lack of any experience of any of the employees. A non-standard approach manifests itself in Branson's company at all levels: there is absolutely no subordination here, informality and creativity are welcomed, and employees calmly sip beer during the working day. And Branson himself, at the moment concerned about the development of, no more, no less, space tourism, still loves adventure, shocking antics and his immortal sweater, which he does not refuse even at meetings with royalty.