>>> OK, so most of these aren't particularly surprising. Microsoft, Google,
>>> Apple, Intel, IBM, and a few oil companies. It's perhaps slightly
>>> surprising that (for example) IBM is more profitable than Apple. But
>>> there's no surprise that these guys are all at the top.
>>
>> Why would it be a surprise that IBM is more profitable than Apple?
>
> Because, last I heard, the company was in severe financial trouble and
> was close to being liquidated. To go from that to being one of the most
> profitable companies on Earth is a pretty big turn-around.
>

"Last you heard" was in the 80s, and you heard wrong.  Since Lou 
Gerstner took over in 1991, the company has been doing great.  They even 
sailed through the bursting of the dotcom bubble completely unscathed. 
So much in fact, that the Securities and Exchange Commission 
investigated them to see if they were cooking their books like Enron, 
Nortel or MCI/Worldcomm.

>>> The real surprise is... wait, Exxon? For real?! Jesus, I thought they
>>> went bankrupt decades ago... Apparently they're still alive somehow.
>>
>> Not just somehow... They're one of the bigger players in North America.
>
> That's what's so surprising. Not only have they somehow survived, but

Survived what?  The Exxon Valdez disaster was a mere footnote in their 
history.  Don't base your financial knowledge on Kevin Costner movies.

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