What are the most profitable companies?

[Martin]

If i had to guess i would say either Google, Apple or Walmart, am i on the money?

Can anyone tell me how much these companies are worth?

Also how is it that Google is worth so much when primarily it's just a website that let's users find a website they're after? I realize that a lot of the're revenue if not all of it comes from advertising but do people really click on the ads to the right of the screen? I know i sure don't.
The same goes for Facebook, do advertisers really believe people will go onto Facebook and then click on the advertisements, and then when they click on them go through with the purchase of whatever theyre advertising?

I guess my point is with these IT companies how much of thier worth is real, and how much of it is potential value, such as with Facebook?
Does anyone else believe that in a few years time Facebook will fall flat on its ass, i mean it doesn't sell anything! It's absurd.

Just on a side note what is the value of Microsoft? Is it just me or has Microsoft become very bland and boring. Compare Microsoft to Apple, and i would say Apple is the one that's exciting and innovative. I think it's a shame that Microsoft was able to get away with so much especially having a monopoly on the Operating System and Web browsers. It helps a lot when every computer sold is preloaded with Windows ansd Internet Explorer, it kinda makes it hard for any would be competitors. Btw when i brought a notebook and it came with Windows 8 that had to have been the WORST OS i have ever used. And i brought the Zune on ebay out of curiosity and it was shite! How this company made Bill gates a billionaire i will never know, if they had major competition (eg, if PCs werent preloaded with Windows and people had to go out and buy an OS) then they would surely be nowhere near as profitable.

I'm very curious as to what others think are thw most profitable companies. What other companies are there that are hugely profitable?

[Steve]

Google fortune 500 companies. The site will give you a list.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/