US Profit Leaders: Alphabet, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway

The ten most profitable US companies combined had a total net profit of $684 billion in the most recent fiscal year, more than the entire GDP of Belgium, according to a visualcapitalist.com analysis based on TradingView data.

The cited source, in partnership with Terzo, has compiled a ranking of the US companies with the highest profits, showing their net earnings, i.e. the money a company has left after paying its expenses.

At the top of the list is tech giant Alphabet Inc., owner of Google, which had the highest net income, at $100 billion in the most recent fiscal year. From 2023 to 2024, the company's revenues grew twice as fast as its costs, the cited source notes.

Apple Inc., the maker of the iPhone, came in second, with a net profit of $94 billion. In dollar terms, most of its profit comes from products like the iPhone and Mac. However, services like advertising and AppleCare are nearly twice as profitable, with a gross margin of 74 percent, compared to 37 percent for products.

Close behind is investment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in third place, with a net profit of $89 billion. Led by Warren Buffett, the company made most of its profit from its insurance business, GEICO. BNSF, one of North America's largest railroads, also contributed significantly to Berkshire Hathaway's earnings. The top 10 companies in the rankings are: Microsoft Corp. (technology, $88 billion), Nvidia Corp. (technology, $73 billion), Meta Inc. (technology, $62 billion), Amazon.com Inc. (online retail, $59 billion), JP Morgan Chase &Co. (banking, $58 billion), Exxon Mobil (oil, $34 billion), Bank of America (banking, $27 billion).

• Industry dominance of leaders

According to the rankings, the technology sector is the most common in the top ten companies by profit. Six companies are either officially classified in the technology sector (Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia) or have a strong focus on technology (Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon). Financial companies are also dominant, with Berkshire Hathaway, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America all holding significant positions at the top.

Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil is the only energy company on the list.