You are familiar with the likes of Google, Facebook and Amazon; in fact, you probably used the services of these internet behemoths within the last 24 hours. However, there are astonishing details about them you may not be aware of.
It’s not only the profits of the giant online companies that can awe you. There are many interesting details about some of the top Internet companies you will be excited to find out about.
1. Google
For starters, Google was once called “BackRub.” The name is apparently in reference to one of the search engine’s functions: the retrieval of backlinks.
The site was later renamed into the popular Big G it is now, as a spin off from the mathematical term “googol,” which means a number followed by 100 zeros. Perhaps, the “G” in the company’s name is also a nod to how the company started in a garage.
2. Microsoft
Bill Gates’ company is one of the most valuable corporations now, but it started small, with its shares priced at around £16.60 in March 1986. If you bought Microsoft’s stock on its IPO, your stock would already be worth around £12,000 at present.
Microsoft is such a trailblazing company that it has created at least three billionaires and over 12,000 millionaires.
3. Amazon
Amazon does not seem like an apt name for a giant website that is about online shopping. However, it was initially named “Cadabra,” which was short for “Abracadabra.” Jeff Bezos, however, lost interest in the term after someone mistook it for “cadaver.” He then considered calling the site “Relentless,” and the company even decided to buy “relentless.com” to redirect to the Amazon website.
Amazon is now one of the world’s most valuable, profitable and sophisticated companies, but there was a time when it suffered an uncharacteristic glitch that caused the company to give out money to customers whenever they ordered a negative number of books.
4. Facebook
Saying that Facebook is popular is an understatement; it is one of the most influential online companies in the world. In fact, it has been accused of being used as a tool to influence elections, as it is used by around three out of 10 American adults as a news source.
Also, back in 2014, it was estimated that Facebook had a global economic impact quantified at approximately £180 billion.
5. Apple
Apple is another internet colossus notable for being the first U.S. company to reach the $1 trillion capitalization milestone, making it worth more than the GDPs of several countries. It is such a highly successful company that, at one point, it had double the amount of money owned by the United States Treasury.
These are just some of the most interesting details you may not know about the leading online companies in the world. If you are interested in the financial figures associated with these internet giants, do an online search using the phrase “internet giants by the second” or “internet giants’ profits.”
