The Most Profitable Companies in the World (2026)

Click for Takeaways: World’s Most Profitable Companies

• Technology, energy, and finance collectively generate the majority of global profits, with technology now firmly at the top. This is a shift away from energy dominance, as was the case as recently as 2022.
• As of June 2026, Alphabet (Google’s parent) leads global profitability with approximately $160.2 billion in trailing-12-month net income.
• NVIDIA has risen from fourth globally in late 2025 to second by mid-2026, driven by GPU demand for AI infrastructure, one of the fastest profit ascents in corporate history.
• Apple’s growing services business has become an increasingly important contributor to profitability.
• Berkshire Hathaway has nearly doubled the S&P 500’s returns over 60 years, proving that diversified, long-term asset management remains a durable profitability strategy.
• Please note that this ranking changes quarterly. Every figure in this article is a dated snapshot, so treat it accordingly.

The most profitable companies in the world are now led by technology. As of June 2026, Alphabet, Google’s parent, sits at the top with roughly $160 billion in trailing-12-month net income, the most of any non-state-owned company in the world. This ranking covers publicly traded, non-state-owned companies: the businesses whose profits are fully disclosed and comparable quarter to quarter.

What stands out in 2026 is how fast the order has changed. Technology has overtaken energy and finance as the dominant source of global profit — a reversal from just a few years ago, when oil and banking led. Alphabet now leads, and NVIDIA has climbed from outside the top three to second place in barely a year, propelled by demand for the chips behind AI infrastructure.

Some of the world’s largest profit generators sit outside this list entirely: Saudi Aramco and the major Chinese state banks are majority government-owned, so we exclude them here and look at Aramco separately as the clearest example of why the most profitable company and the most valuable company are rarely the same.

The scale of these profits is hard to overstate. The Fortune Global 500 together generated $2.98 trillion in profit on $41.7 trillion in revenue, with financial institutions alone accounting for roughly $1 trillion of that total. Yet the earnings are heavily concentrated: a handful of companies at the very top account for a disproportionate share of all global profit, and technology firms now occupy most of those top spots.

This article ranks the most profitable companies in the world by net income, profiles the businesses at the very top, and draws out what finance teams of any size can learn from how they turn revenue into profit.

What Is the Most Profitable Company in the World Right Now?

As of June 2026, based on trailing-12-month (TTM) net income, Alphabet (the parent company of Google and YouTube) is the most profitable company in the world, reporting approximately $160.2 billion in net income.

NVIDIA is a close second at approximately $159.6 billion in TTM net income, or $120.1 billion for fiscal year 2026, with a net margin exceeding 55%. Microsoft ranks third at approximately $125.2 billion, followed by Apple at approximately $122.6 billion.

The ranking highlights how quickly profitability can shift. In late 2025, Microsoft moved ahead of Apple, while Alphabet reported approximately $124.3 billion in net income and NVIDIA generated approximately $99.2 billion. By mid-2026, Alphabet’s TTM net income had reached $160.2 billion, while NVIDIA had surged into second place as AI infrastructure spending fueled one of the fastest profit expansions in corporate history.

Most Profitable vs. Most Valuable: Why They’re Not the Same Company

It’s important to note that the most profitable company in the world isn’t always the most valuable company in the world. These two terms measure different things, and the distinction matters.

The difference between the most profitable and most valuable companies is that profit is simply revenue minus expenses, whereas value considers stock price, future earnings, market share, and many other factors. 

Another way to look at “value” is: if the company was put up for sale, how much would it cost to buy it? In that case, a potential buyer would look at all aspects of the company, especially future earnings and growth potential. For a deeper look at this distinction, see revenue vs. profit.

Saudi Aramco makes this distinction vivid. Despite ranking among the most profitable companies in the world for years, it trades at a far lower valuation multiple than Alphabet or Apple because oil production offers less certain compound growth than recurring, software-based revenue.

The most valuable vs most profitable company gap is largest here: enormous current earnings, but slower expected future growth.

This article focuses solely on net income, which company actually took home the most money. For every company in the ranking table below, we report profit margin alongside absolute net income, because it reveals efficiency: a $50 billion profit on $100 billion in revenue reflects a fundamentally different business than the same profit on $500 billion in revenue.

Ranking the Most Profitable Companies

The following profiles cover the ten most profitable companies in the world by trailing-12-month net income, based on the most current available data as of mid-2026. The most accurate and up-to-date data is based on reports from the end of Q1 2026 (March 31, 2026). 

1. Alphabet (Google): ~$160.2B TTM Net Income | ~38% Net Margin | As of June 2026

Alphabet is the parent company of Google and a portfolio of other businesses. Google, through Search, YouTube, Android, Maps, and advertising, remains its primary profit engine. Alphabet also operates Google Cloud, hardware products such as Pixel and Nest, and emerging businesses including Waymo.

As of June 2026, Alphabet is the most profitable company in the world, generating approximately $160.2 billion in trailing-12-month net income, up from a then-record $100.1 billion in 2024.

Google Search remains Alphabet’s largest revenue source, while Google Cloud has become one of its fastest-growing businesses, driven by demand for cloud and AI services.

With a dominant position in search and one of the strongest balance sheets in corporate history, Alphabet has the resources to invest heavily in AI, cloud computing, and other long-term growth opportunities.

What makes Alphabet so profitable

Despite being one of the newer entrants to the global top tier (Google was founded in 1998), it became the dominant force in internet searches. When you are the main tool the whole world uses for information, there’s a lot of money to be made. 

2. NVIDIA: ~$159.6B TTM Net Income | ~63% Net Margin | As of June 2026

NVIDIA designs the GPUs that power much of modern artificial intelligence. From large language models to cloud AI services, many of the world’s leading AI systems run on NVIDIA hardware. The company generates most of its revenue from data center chips purchased by technology companies, cloud providers, and governments building AI infrastructure.

NVIDIA’s profit growth has been extraordinary. Net income increased from roughly $4.4 billion in fiscal 2023 to $120.1 billion in fiscal 2026, making it one of the fastest profit expansions in corporate history. Its net margin exceeds 55%, among the highest of any major hardware company.

What makes NVIDIA so profitable

NVIDIA is the best recent example of what happens when a company owns the infrastructure layer of a major technology wave. Rather than building applications on top of AI, it built the picks and shovels, and found that the margins at that layer are extraordinary. 

3. Microsoft: ~$125.2B TTM Net Income | ~39% Net Margin | As of June 2026

Under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has become one of the world’s most profitable technology companies, generating revenue from software, cloud computing through Azure, and productivity tools such as Microsoft 365.

Its growth has been driven by the shift to cloud-based subscriptions and significant investment in AI, including its partnership with OpenAI. Azure remains one of the fastest-growing cloud platforms, while Microsoft’s AI services continue to expand rapidly across its product ecosystem. 

What makes Microsoft so profitable

Microsoft is the clearest example of a company that reinvented itself through a major strategic pivot (from licensed desktop software to cloud and subscription services) and came out more profitable on the other side. 

4. Apple: ~$122.6B TTM Net Income | ~27% Net Margin | As of June 2026 

Under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, Apple sells iPhones, iPads, Macs, wearables, software, and digital services. While its devices remain the foundation of the business, the Services segment, which includes the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, subscriptions, and advertising, has become an increasingly important profit driver.

With more than 2 billion active devices worldwide and annual Services revenue exceeding $100 billion, Apple has built one of the strongest customer ecosystems in business. 

What makes Apple so profitable

Nobody executes the combination of innovation, forward-thinking, and marketing as consistently as Apple. Their approach (always thinking ahead and building products that create locked-in ecosystems) makes them one of the most profitable and most valuable companies in the world. 

Spotlight: Saudi Aramco: $104.7B net income (FY2025) | ~23% net margin | State-owned, not ranked in the table below 

Saudi Aramco is the world’s most profitable energy company and the highest-earning non-technology company. Its advantage comes from some of the lowest oil production costs in the industry, giving it strong profitability across a wide range of oil prices.

With the world’s largest proven oil reserves and net income of $104.7 billion in 2025, Aramco demonstrates the power of scale in natural resources — though as a company that is roughly 80% owned by the Saudi state, it sits outside the publicly traded ranking below. 

What makes Saudi Aramco so profitable

Even in a conservative industry like oil and gas, Saudi Aramco’s ability to innovate when necessary is behind its power. It finds ways to lower costs, invests in new industries and expansions, and adapts itself to challenges, all while sitting on a reserve base that no competitor can replicate. 

5. Amazon: ~$90.8B TTM Net Income | ~12.3% Net Margin | As of June 2026 

Amazon is best known as an online retailer, but much of the profit that puts it among the world’s most profitable companies comes from Amazon Web Services (AWS), its cloud computing division. AWS generates a disproportionate share of Amazon’s operating income, while its rapidly growing advertising business adds another high-margin revenue stream. 

What makes Amazon so profitable

Amazon is the best example of what happens when a high-margin business unit subsidizes a lower-margin one, enabling aggressive pricing that builds dominant market share. Its net margin remains lower than many software and semiconductor companies, but applied to one of the world’s largest revenue bases, it still produces tens of billions in net income.

6. Berkshire Hathaway: ~$72.5B TTM Net Income | ~19% Net Margin | As of June 2026 

Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate with businesses spanning insurance, energy, transportation, manufacturing, retail, and services. Unlike most companies on this list, its profitability comes from both operating businesses and a massive investment portfolio built over decades under Warren Buffett.

Between 1965 and 2024, Berkshire delivered a compound annual return of roughly 19.9%, compared with approximately 10.4% for the S&P 500. As of 2026, the company manages more than $1.1 trillion in assets, making it one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world.

What makes Berkshire Hathaway so profitable

Berkshire’s profitability comes from decades of smart investing and long-term thinking. Its insurance subsidiaries generate float (capital held against future claims) that Berkshire invests at returns above what it pays out. This float-funded investment model is the structural engine behind its profitability and is largely independent of economic cycles. 

7. Meta Platforms: ~$70.6B TTM Net Income | ~36% Net Margin | As of June 2026 

Meta Platforms owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, three of the world’s largest social platforms. Meta generates most of its revenue from digital advertising and, with a net margin of roughly 36% as of June 2026, remains one of the most profitable advertising businesses in the world.

After a difficult 2022 marked by heavy metaverse spending and the impact of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency changes, Meta’s 2023 “Year of Efficiency” reduced costs and improved margins. At the same time, AI-powered ad targeting helped accelerate revenue growth and increase advertising performance.

What makes Meta so profitable

Meta monetizes billions of users across its platforms through a single advertising engine. That combination of massive scale, deep user engagement, and AI-driven ad targeting creates one of the most profitable advertising businesses in the world.

8. TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor): ~$61.2B TTM Net Income | ~45% Net Margin | As of June 2026 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) doesn’t sell consumer products. Instead, it manufactures many of the world’s most advanced chips. Apple designs its processors; TSMC builds them. NVIDIA designs its GPUs; TSMC builds them. AMD, Qualcomm, and Broadcom also rely heavily on TSMC’s fabrication capabilities.

TSMC’s leadership in advanced chip manufacturing, including 3nm production and the rollout of 2nm technology, has given it a dominant position in leading-edge semiconductor fabrication. Built on decades of capital investment and manufacturing expertise, this advantage gives TSMC substantial pricing power. At roughly 45%, its net margin is among the highest in global manufacturing.

What makes TSMC so profitable

Frontier-level technical expertise can create a de facto monopoly. When you’re the only company capable of producing the world’s most advanced chips at scale, pricing power follows naturally.

TSMC’s concentration in Taiwan remains a geopolitical risk, prompting customers and governments to support expansion into other regions. While diversification increases near-term costs, it should strengthen long-term capacity and resilience.

9. JPMorgan Chase: ~$57.5B TTM Net Income | ~33.9% Net Margin | As of June 2026 

JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States by assets and the most profitable bank in the world by net income. Its business spans consumer banking, commercial banking, investment banking, payments, and asset management.

Large U.S. banks benefit from deposit insurance, established regulatory infrastructure, and access to central bank facilities, creating structural advantages that are tough for new entrants to replicate.

What makes JPMorgan so profitable

Understanding how macroeconomic conditions affect margins is essential context for JPMorgan’s profitability. A rising rate environment was a structural tailwind for banks; knowing your external levers is as important as managing internal costs. 

As rates normalize, JPMorgan’s earnings resilience will depend increasingly on fee-based revenues, investment banking, asset management, and card services, which are less rate-sensitive but more exposed to capital market cycles.

10. Samsung Electronics: ~$54B TTM Net Income | ~13% Net Margin | As of June 2026

Samsung Electronics is the world’s largest memory chip maker and one of the largest consumer electronics companies, with a business spanning semiconductors, smartphones, displays, and home appliances. It rounds out the top ten most profitable companies in the world by net income.

Memory chip makers benefit from enormous scale, deep process-technology know-how, and capital intensity so high that only a handful of players can compete — structural advantages that are extremely difficult for new entrants to replicate.

What makes Samsung so profitable

Understanding the memory cycle is essential context for Samsung’s profitability. In full-year 2025 the company earned about 43.6 trillion won (~$30 billion) in operating profit, but in Q1 2026 alone that figure hit a record 57.2 trillion won (~$39 billion) — more than all of 2025 — as an AI-driven shortage of high-bandwidth memory sent chip prices surging. Roughly 94% of that profit came from the chip division alone.

That concentration cuts both ways, and knowing your external levers matters as much as managing internal costs. The same component-cost pressures lifting Samsung’s memory business squeezed its mobile division, where profit fell nearly 40% year over year, and Samsung’s blended ~13% net margin stays modest against the software and semiconductor names higher on this list. Its earnings swing sharply with the memory cycle, so the trailing-twelve-month figure reflects an unusually strong period rather than a steady run-rate.

25 Most Profitable Companies at a Glance: Full Ranking Table

The table below lists the most profitable companies in the world by trailing 12-month (TTM) net income as of June 2026, based on the most recent publicly available financial data.

Note that this ranking is based on net income, not market valuation. A company can be one of the world’s most valuable without being one of the world’s most profitable. For example, SpaceX reached one of the world’s highest market valuations in June 2026, but recent reporting showed it was still posting a net loss, so it wouldn’t qualify for this ranking.

This ranking covers publicly traded, non-state-owned companies. Several of the world’s largest profit generators — including Saudi Aramco and the major Chinese state banks (ICBC, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of China) — are majority government-owned and are excluded here; Aramco is discussed separately below.

Rank	Company	TTM Net Income	Net Margin	Industry
1	Alphabet	$160.2B *	38%	Internet & technology
2	NVIDIA	$159.6B *	63%	Semiconductors
3	Microsoft	$125.2B *	39%	Software & cloud
4	Apple	$122.6B	27%	Consumer technology
5	Amazon	$90.8B	12%	E-commerce & cloud
6	Berkshire Hathaway	$72.5B *	19%	Conglomerate
7	Meta Platforms	$70.6B	36%	Internet & technology
8	TSMC	$61.2B	45%	Semiconductors
9	JPMorgan Chase	$57.5B	34%	Banking
10	Samsung Electronics	~$54B	~13%	Electronics
11	SK Hynix	~$54B *	57%	Semiconductors
12	Tencent	$31.7B	31%	Internet & technology
13	Bank of America	$30.3B	27%	Banking
14	Broadcom	$29.3B *	39%	Semiconductors
15	ExxonMobil	$28.8B	8%	Energy
16	Johnson & Johnson	$26.8B *	28%	Healthcare
17	Toyota	$25.5B	8%	Automotive
18	Eli Lilly	~$25B	35%	Pharmaceuticals
19	Walmart	$22.7B	3%	Retail
20	HSBC	$21.1B	32%	Banking
21	Wells Fargo	~$20B	24%	Banking
22	Visa	~$20B	52%	Payments
23	Verizon	$17.2B	12%	Telecom
24	Goldman Sachs	$17.1B	28%	Financial services
25	Procter & Gamble	$16.4B	19%	Consumer goods

Figures show net income for each company’s most recent reported period — trailing 12 months through Q1 2026 for calendar-year filers, or the latest full fiscal year for companies that report semi-annually (e.g. HSBC, Tencent) or on an off-calendar fiscal year (Toyota, year ended March 2026; NVIDIA, year ended January 2026). Compiled June 2026 from company filings and Macrotrends. State-owned enterprises are excluded. * Net income materially inflated by one-time or unrealized investment or currency gains in the most recent period; on an operating basis the figure is lower — see the note below.

A note on investment gains: Several companies near the top of this list report net income that includes large one-time or unrealized gains rather than profit from their core business. Alphabet’s trailing-12-month figure includes roughly $37.7 billion of unrealized gains on equity investments booked in early 2026; NVIDIA’s and Microsoft’s are lifted by gains on stakes in other chip and AI companies; Berkshire Hathaway’s swings with the mark-to-market value of its stock portfolio each quarter; and SK Hynix’s includes roughly $10 billion of foreign-exchange and investment gains. On an operating basis — profit from selling products and services — the gaps between these leaders narrow considerably. Where the effect is material we mark the company with an asterisk (*).

* NVIDIA’s fiscal year 2026 net income (year ended January 2026) was approximately $120.1 billion with a net margin of roughly 55.6%. The higher June 2026 TTM figure reflects subsequent quarterly results and investment gains.

Which Industries Produce the Most Corporate Profit?

Profitability has become increasingly concentrated in technology. Based on the June 2026 ranking of the world’s 25 most profitable companies, technology and semiconductor firms account for roughly 71% of combined net income, reflecting the growing influence of cloud computing, software, digital advertising, and AI infrastructure. 

Sector	Key Companies	Est. Share of Top-25 Net Income
Technology and Semiconductors	Alphabet, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Meta, TSMC, Samsung, SK Hynix, Tencent, Broadcom	~71%
Financial Services	JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, HSBC, Wells Fargo, Visa, Goldman Sachs	~12%
Energy	ExxonMobil	~2%
Conglomerate	Berkshire Hathaway	~5%
Other (auto, retail, telecom, consumer goods)	Toyota, Walmart, Verizon, Procter & Gamble	~6%
Healthcare	Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly	~4%

(Approximate shares based on the companies’ June 2026 trailing 12-month net income figures for those included in the top-25 ranking.)

Business Strategies to Learn from the Most Profitable Companies

What separates the most profitable companies in the world from the rest? Looking across these five businesses, a handful of strategies appear repeatedly, regardless of industry or geography.

1. Focus on Diversification and Technological Advancement

Despite being primarily an oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco’s diversification strategy into big data and artificial intelligence reflects an understanding of fast-changing market dynamics. 

By leveraging technology, their aim is to optimize operations, make informed decisions, and adapt swiftly to market changes. 

Additionally, their focus on global expansion through strategic acquisitions demonstrates a commitment to growth and resilience amid fluctuating energy prices.

2. Product Innovation

Apple’s continuous innovation in product development and diversification into services has been pivotal to its profitability. 

Apple maintains a strong foothold in the market by consistently introducing groundbreaking products like the iPhone and iPad and expanding into services like the App Store and Apple Music. 

Their emphasis on customer satisfaction and loyalty, coupled with a diverse revenue stream, ensures steady profitability even in fluctuating market conditions.

3. Long-term Investment and Portfolio Management

Despite facing challenges in investment performance, Berkshire Hathaway’s long-term investment strategy remains robust. 

While their investments may experience volatility, their diversified portfolio, including holdings in profitable companies like Apple, provides stability and potential for long-term growth. 

Moreover, their adherence to rigorous financial analysis and prudent decision-making underscores their commitment to maximizing shareholder value over time.

4. Leverage AI Across the Product Ecosystem

Take a cue from Microsoft and invest in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance your product offerings. 

Consider integrating AI software solutions into various aspects of your business operations to drive revenue growth, improve operational efficiency, and stay competitive in the market. 

Microsoft’s success with AI implementation, particularly in cloud computing and productivity tools, is a model for leveraging advanced technologies to achieve business objectives.

5. Diversify Revenue Streams

Alphabet may seem to be all in on one revenue stream (Google ads), but it is taking different approaches to diversifying revenue streams beyond traditional advertising. 

While advertising remains a powerful source of income for many tech companies, reducing dependence on it can mitigate risks associated with ad-spending fluctuations and regulatory changes. 

Explore opportunities to expand into new markets, offer additional services, or develop innovative products to generate alternative revenue streams and ensure long-term financial stability.

Staying Profitable at Scale: The Discipline Behind the Numbers

The most profitable companies in the world are in tech, energy, and finance. In this era of AI, many companies dream of reaching this tier. None of these companies are flawless; they’ve all had their fair share of setbacks along the way. But they all have one other thing in common: they never stop evolving. And of course, they don’t stop planning either. 

Alphabet runs continuous forecasting and variance analysis across a business generating more than $300 billion in annual revenue. NVIDIA models demand scenarios across a semiconductor industry that can shift 40% in a single quarter. Saudi Aramco plans capital budgets across oil price scenarios measured in decades. 

JPMorgan stress-tests its balance sheet against multiple economic cycles simultaneously.

This kind of financial discipline doesn’t happen in spreadsheets passed around by email. Companies at this scale use integrated FP&A software because the cost of a planning failure (underinvesting in capacity before a demand surge or overhiring before a margin contraction) is measured in billions. 

The rigor of budgeting and forecasting, and of financial reporting, at this scale isn’t optional. Rather, it’s what separates a business that stays profitable through market shifts from one that doesn’t.

Datarails brings the same budgeting and forecasting discipline and financial reporting rigor to growing finance teams, without requiring them to abandon Excel. With AI-driven FP&A capabilities and financial dashboard software built for real-time visibility, it consolidates all your data in one place and enables finance teams to make accurate, up-to-date decisions with management. 

See also the finance glossary for definitions of the key metrics used throughout this article.

Final Thoughts

The most profitable companies in the world operate in tech, energy, and finance. What this 2026 ranking reveals is how quickly leadership has shifted: technology now leads a list that energy and finance dominated only a few years ago, with Alphabet on top and NVIDIA climbing from outside the top five to second place. Saudi Aramco — long the world’s largest corporate earner — is majority state-owned and sits outside this ranking.

None of these companies are flawless, but they share a common trait: they continually adapt. 

The world’s most profitable companies stay that way through disciplined forecasting and planning. See how Datarails helps growing finance teams build that same discipline.

Most Profitable Companies FAQs