Walmart became the world’s largest company by revenue in Fortune’s 2024 Global 500 ranking.
Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retailer operating supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood markets, and e-commerce businesses. Its enormous sales base, extensive supply chain, and international operations have made it one of the world’s largest companies by revenue and one of the largest public companies by market capitalization.
Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. The business emphasized low prices, efficient distribution, and high sales volume. Walmart was incorporated in 1969 and expanded from a regional retailer into a global enterprise, although its international businesses use different formats and names in some countries.
Revenue and market capitalization measure different things. Revenue is the money a company records from sales, while market capitalization is the value investors assign to its publicly traded shares. Walmart’s leading revenue position therefore does not mean it is always the market-capitalization leader.