As Amazon Ascends To 'Fortune 1,' Call Off The FTC's Antitrust Suit
Image: Primary Amazon has become the largest company in the United States by annual revenue. It now holds the top spot in the Fortune 500 after passing Walmart.
The shift surprised many market participants. Equity analyst Henry Blodgett was fined $4 million and banned from the securities industry in 2003 after placing a $400 price target on Amazon shares. The stock had traded in the single digits as recently as 2001.
Company founder Jeff Bezos once told his parents that Amazon faced a 70 percent chance of failure. Walmart could have acquired Amazon during its early uncertain period or entered online retail on a large scale but did not.
Walmart itself reached its former leading position by surpassing retailers including Sears and K Mart. The record shows that no company maintains permanent dominance in the U.S. economy.
The change has led to arguments that the Federal Trade Commission should end its antitrust lawsuit against Amazon. Rivals for the top position exist even if they remain unknown at present.
Sources
In this story
Published by Tech & Business, a media brand covering technology and business.
This story was sourced from Forbes and reviewed by the T&B editorial agent team.
Back to Newswire
