Special Report

Biggest Company Founded the Year You Were Born

Benchapple / Wikimedia Commons

Thanks to abundant resources, a relatively stable government, and a business-friendly climate, Americans know that — with a good idea and some hard work — they can create a successful business. The American entrepreneurial spirit dates back centuries, even before the country declared independence from Great Britain. Some businesses founded in the colonial era are still active to this day.

Forbes reported that more than 500,000 new businesses are founded every month in the U.S. While many businesses fail to make a broad nationwide impact or disappear entirely, others continue to grow, expanding locations and becoming large national or even international corporations.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the year each Fortune 500 company was founded to determine the biggest company founded the year you were born. In a few cases, where there were no publicly traded companies large enough to make the Fortune 500, we identified the largest company founded that year by revenue.

Many different types of companies appear on this list. Large tech companies, retail giants, health care companies, and energy providers all occupy a number of spots on the list and are spread across several decades.

There are large companies that almost all Americans will recognize, like Amazon and Walmart, as well as smaller ones, like Sealed Air and Veritiv, that may not be as well known.

Many of the businesses on this list are not entirely new but merged with another corporate entity to become a different company. People have been eating Kraft cheese and slathering Heinz ketchup on their hot dogs for decades, but the companies merged in 2015 to become Kraft Heinz.

Click here to see the biggest company founded the year you were born.

To determine the biggest company founded the year you were born, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the 500 largest companies in the U.S. in terms of revenue and listed the company that ranks the highest based on the year of its founding, as determined by Forbes. For the purposes of this article, the founding year can refer to the year in which a company was initially founded, merged, or was restructured. Companies that no longer exist were omitted from the list. Time Warner, which appears on the Fortune 500 list, has since been bought by AT&T and was removed.

Southern Company

1945: Southern
> Industry: Utilities: Gas and Electric
> Revenue: $23.03 billion
> # of employees: 31,344
> Headquarters: Atlanta, GA

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ivanastar / Getty Images

1946: Lowe’s
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $68.62 billion
> # of employees: 255,000
> Headquarters: Mooresville, NC

HollyFrontier Corporation

1947: HollyFrontier
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $14.25 billion
> # of employees: 3,522
> Headquarters: Dallas, TX

khargrav / Flickr

1948: ManpowerGroup
> Industry: Business services
> Revenue: $21.03 billion
> # of employees: 29,000
> Headquarters: Milwaukee, WI

ADP

1949: ADP
> Industry: Business services
> Revenue: $12.38 billion
> # of employees: 58,000
> Headquarters: Roseland, NJ

Miosotis Jade / Wikimedia Commons

1950: Ross Stores
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $14.13 billion
> # of employees: 82,700
> Headquarters: Dublin, CA

Texas Instruments / Wikimedia Commons

1951: Texas Instruments
> Industry: Technology
> Revenue: $14.96 billion
> # of employees: 29,714
> Headquarters: Dallas, TX

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guvendemir / Getty Images

1952: General Dynamics
> Industry: Aerospace & Defense
> Revenue: $30.97 billion
> # of employees: 98,600
> Headquarters: Falls Church, VA

Skyhobo / Getty Images

1953: Denny’s
> Industry: Food Services
> Revenue: $0.53 billion
> # of employees: 8,900
> Headquarters: Spartanburg, SC

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

1954: Lennar
> Industry: Engineering & Construction
> Revenue: $12.65 billion
> # of employees: 9,111
> Headquarters: Miami, FL

ermingut / Getty Images

1955: McDonald’s
> Industry: Food Services
> Revenue: $22.82 billion
> # of employees: 235,000
> Headquarters: Oak Brook, IL

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David McNew / Getty Images

1956: TJX
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $35.86 billion
> # of employees: 249,000
> Headquarters: Framingham, MA

NicolasMcComber / Getty Images

1957: O’Reilly Automotive
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $8.98 billion
> # of employees: 60,365
> Headquarters: Springfield, MO

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

1958: Visa
> Industry: Business Services
> Revenue: $18.36 billion
> # of employees: 15,000
> Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

1959: Aramark
> Industry: Business Services
> Revenue: $14.60 billion
> # of employees: 215,000
> Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA

Sealed Air

1960: Sealed Air
> Industry: Materials
> Revenue: $6.13 billion
> # of employees: 15,000
> Headquarters: Charlotte, NC

Humana

1961: Humana
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $53.77 billion
> # of employees: 45,900
> Headquarters: Louisville, KY

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YvanDube / Getty Images

1962: Walmart
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $500.34 billion
> # of employees: 2,300,000
> Headquarters: Bentonville, AR

Juanmonino / Getty Images

1963: CVS Health
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $184.77 billion
> # of employees: 203,000
> Headquarters: Woonsocket, RI

code6d / Getty Images

1964: Nike
> Industry: Apparel
> Revenue: $34.35 billion
> # of employees: 74,400
> Headquarters: Beaverton, OR

A-Mark Precious Metals

1965: A-Mark Precious Metals
> Industry: Materials
> Revenue: $6.99 billion
> # of employees: 126
> Headquarters: El Segundo, CA

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Jorge Villalba / Getty Images

1966: Best Buy
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $42.15 billion
> # of employees: 125,000
> Headquarters: Richfield, MN

tenet health

1967: Tenet Healthcare
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $20.61 billion
> # of employees: 111,980
> Headquarters: Dallas, TX

JasonDoiy / Getty Images

1968: Intel
> Industry: Technology
> Revenue: $62.76 billion
> # of employees: 102,700
> Headquarters: Santa Clara, CA

RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images

1969: Sysco
> Industry: Wholesalers
> Revenue: $55.37 billion
> # of employees: 66,500
> Headquarters: Houston, TX

Stefan Zaklin / Getty Images

1970: Freddie Mac
> Industry: Financials
> Revenue: $74.68 billion
> # of employees: 6,165
> Headquarters: McLean, VA

Courtesy of Cardinal Health

1971: Cardinal Health
> Industry: Wholesalers
> Revenue: $129.98 billion
> # of employees: 40,400
> Headquarters: Dublin, OH

TravelCenters of America

1972: TravelCenters of America
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $6.05 billion
> # of employees: 19,611
> Headquarters: Westlake, OH

Reinsurance Group of America

1973: Reinsurance Group of America
> Industry: Financials
> Revenue: $12.52 billion
> # of employees: 2,640
> Headquarters: Chesterfield, MO

Twitter / Tech_Data

1974: Tech Data
> Industry: Wholesalers
> Revenue: $36.78 billion
> # of employees: 14,000
> Headquarters: Clearwater, FL

1975: Microsoft
> Industry: Technology
> Revenue: $89.95 billion
> # of employees: 124,000
> Headquarters: Redmond, WA

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ymgerman / Shutterstock.com

1976: Apple
> Industry: Technology
> Revenue: $229.23 billion
> # of employees: 123,000
> Headquarters: Cupertino, CA

Courtesy of UnitedHealth Group

1977: UnitedHealth Group
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $201.16 billion
> # of employees: 260,000
> Headquarters: Minnetonka, MN

Lokibaho / Getty Images

1978: Home Depot
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $100.90 billion
> # of employees: 413,000
> Headquarters: Atlanta, GA

RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images

1979: AutoZone
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $10.89 billion
> # of employees: 70,035
> Headquarters: Memphis, TN

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

1980: Valero Energy
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $88.41 billion
> # of employees: 10,015
> Headquarters: San Antonio, TX

Wikimedia Commons

1981: INTL FCStone
> Industry: Financials
> Revenue: $29.42 billion
> # of employees: 1,607
> Headquarters: New York City, NY

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Scott Eisen / Getty Images for Patrick Dempsey Center

1982: Cigna
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $41.62 billion
> # of employees: 46,000
> Headquarters: Bloomfield, CT

Rob Wilson / Shutterstock.com

1983: AT&T
> Industry: Telecommunications
> Revenue: $160.55 billion
> # of employees: 254,000
> Headquarters: Dallas, TX

raisbeckfoto / Getty Images

1984: Cisco Systems
> Industry: Technology
> Revenue: $48.01 billion
> # of employees: 72,900
> Headquarters: San Jose, CA

DNY59 / Getty Images

1985: Qualcomm
> Industry: Technology
> Revenue: $22.29 billion
> # of employees: 33,800
> Headquarters: San Diego, CA

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lab.express-scripts.com

1986: Express Scripts Holding
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $100.06 billion
> # of employees: 26,600
> Headquarters: St. Louis, MO

Wikimedia Commons

1987: Gilead Sciences
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $26.11 billion
> # of employees: 10,000
> Headquarters: Foster City, CA

photohoo / Getty Images

1988: Capital One Financial
> Industry: Financials
> Revenue: $30.00 billion
> # of employees: 49,300
> Headquarters: McLean, VA

Chesapeake Energy

1989: Chesapeake Energy
> Industry: Financials
> Revenue: $9.50 billion
> # of employees: 49,300
> Headquarters: McLean, VA

penskevehicleservices.com

1990: Penske Automotive Group
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $21.39 billion
> # of employees: 26,000
> Headquarters: Bloomfield Hills, MI

Voya Financial

1991: Voya Financial
> Industry: Financials
> Revenue: $9.66 billion
> # of employees: 6,300
> Headquarters: New York City, NY

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U.S. Army / Wikimedia Commons

1992: NRG Energy
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $10.63 billion
> # of employees: 5,940
> Headquarters: Houston, TX

1993: CarMax
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $16.64 billion
> # of employees: 24,344
> Headquarters: Richmond, VA

Hadrian / Shutterstock.com

1994: Amazon.com
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $177.87 billion
> # of employees: 566,000
> Headquarters: Seattle, WA

sshepard / Getty Images

1995: Lockheed Martin
> Industry: Aerospace & Defense
> Revenue: $51.05 billion
> # of employees: 100,000
> Headquarters: Bethesda, MD

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Courtesy of AutoNation

1996: AutoNation
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $21.53 billion
> # of employees: 26,000
> Headquarters: Fort Lauderdale, FL

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

1997: FirstEnergy
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $13.63 billion
> # of employees: 15,617
> Headquarters: Akron, OH

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/

1998: Bank of America Corp.
> Industry: Financials
> Revenue: $100.26 billion
> # of employees: 209,376
> Headquarters: Charlotte, NC

zodebala / Getty Images

1999: Exxon Mobil
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $244.36 billion
> # of employees: 71,200
> Headquarters: Irving, TX

RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images

2000: Verizon
> Industry: Telecommunications
> Revenue: $126.03 billion
> # of employees: 155,400
> Headquarters: New York City, NY

Wikimedia Commons

2001: AmerisourceBergen
> Industry: Wholesalers
> Revenue: $153.14 billion
> # of employees: 19,500
> Headquarters: Chesterbrook, PA

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RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images

2002: ConocoPhillips
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $32.58 billion
> # of employees: 11,400
> Headquarters: Houston, TX

Mike Mozart / Flickr

2003: Office Depot
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $10.75 billion
> # of employees: 45,000
> Headquarters: Boca Raton, FL

antheminc.com

2004: Anthem
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $90.04 billion
> # of employees: 56,000
> Headquarters: Indianapolis, IN

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

2005: Sears Holdings
> Industry: Retailing
> Revenue: $16.70 billion
> # of employees: 89,000
> Headquarters: Hoffman Estates, IL

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Thermo Fisher Scientific

2006: Thermo Fisher Scientific
> Industry: Technology
> Revenue: $20.92 billion
> # of employees: 66,100
> Headquarters: Waltham, MA

US Foods Holding

2007: US Foods Holding
> Industry: Wholesalers
> Revenue: $24.15 billion
> # of employees: 25,204
> Headquarters: Rosemont, IL

Courtesy of PBF Energy

2008: PBF Energy
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $21.79 billion
> # of employees: 3,165
> Headquarters: Parsippany, NJ

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

2009: Uber
> Industry: Transportation
> Revenue: $7.5 billion
> # of employees: 16,000
> Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

Courtesy of NGL Energy Partners

2010: NGL Energy Partners
> Industry: Energy
> Revenue: $13.02 billion
> # of employees: 2,700
> Headquarters: Tulsa, OK

usnavy / Flickr

2011: Huntington Ingalls Industries
> Industry: Aerospace & Defense
> Revenue: $7.44 billion
> # of employees: 38,000
> Headquarters: Newport News, VA

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Courtesy of Mondelez International

2012: Mondelez International
> Industry: Food Consumer Products
> Revenue: $25.90 billion
> # of employees: 83,000
> Headquarters: Deerfield, IL

Courtesy of AbbVie

2013: AbbVie
> Industry: Health Care
> Revenue: $28.22 billion
> # of employees: 29,000
> Headquarters: North Chicago, IL

Courtesy of Veritiv

2014: Veritiv
> Industry: Wholesalers
> Revenue: $8.36 billion
> # of employees: 8,900
> Headquarters: Atlanta, GA

kraft heinz

2015: Kraft Heinz
> Industry: Food Consumer Products
> Revenue: $26.23 billion
> # of employees: 39,000
> Headquarters: Pittsburgh, PA

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