The Biggest Private Companies In The United States

Private companies are either owned by NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) or relatively small number of shareholders. The stock or shares of private businesses are not traded to the public but are offered, owned, or traded privately. Private companies contribute significantly to the economy of a country. In the US, private companies accounted for over 2.5 trillion in revenues and employed over 6 million people in 2016. The US is home to some of the largest privately owned companies which sold goods and services worth trillions of dollars in 2016 financial year. Some of the biggest private companies in the US by revenue include

Cargill

Cargill is a Minnesota-based company which was founded by William Wallace Cargill at the end of the American civil war. It is the privately held corporation in the US regarding revenue. Cargill declared a revenue of $120.4 billion in 2016 financial year. The company developed from a grain storage facility into a multinational trading, purchasing, trading, and distributors of agricultural commodities such as sugar, oil, turkey, and chocolate. It also provides services such as financial management, transportation, and production of food ingredients. Cargill is a family owned business with 90% of the company owned by the descendants of the founder William Cargill and his son-in-law John MacMillan.

Koch Industries

Koch Industries is a multinational corporation which specializes in a variety of industries including refining, chemicals, biofuel, and ingredients such as forests and consumer products. The company is based in Wichita, Kansas with its subsidiaries involved in trading, investments, chemical technology equipment, and manufacturing. Koch Industries is one of the privately owned companies in the US according to the Forbes 2016 list. The company recorded revenue of $100 billion. The company was co-founded in 1940 by Fred C Koch. Koch Industries is currently owned by brothers Charles and David Koch who each own 42% of the enterprise.

Albertsons

Albertsons is a chain of grocery stores headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company is owned and operated by Cerberus Capital Management. Albertsons is one of the largest supermarket chains in North America owning over 2,000 stores which hires over 250,000 employees. Its divisions and subsidiaries operate stores under the umbrella Albertsons, Bristol Farms, Max Food, Star Market, and Grocery Warehouse. Albertsons was founded in 1939 by Joe Albertson and became a public company in 1959. The company was called Albertson’s until 2002 when the apostrophe was removed. The company applied for an IPO in July 2015 and recorded revenue of $58.7 billion in 2016 financial year.

Dell

Dell Company was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell in Texas dorm room. The company started as a computer sales venture under PC’s Limited. Today, Dell Company offers a wide range of technological products including personal computers, servers, software, network switches, and cameras for consumers, government sector, and enterprise. Dell is one of the largest companies in Texas by revenues recording returns of $54.9 billion in 2016. It is also the third-largest PC Company in the world after Lenovo and HP and the number one shipper of PC monitors. Dell has a staff of over 100,000 employees worldwide.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers is a professional services network providing assurance, tax, and advisory services in over 158 countries. The PwC traces its origin in 1849 when Samuel Price began an accounting firm. In 1854, William Cooper also opened his accounting firm. The PricewaterhouseCoopers was formed in 1998 with the merger between Price Waterhouse, Cooper, and Lybrand with the trading name PwC adopted in 2010. PwC has been the most prestigious accounting firm in the world since 2010 and one of the largest privately owned companies in the US recording revenue of $35.4 billion in 2016 financial year.