• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The 'golden passport': Argentina to offer citizenship for foreigners that make a $350,000 contribution to its treasury—or invest $800,000 in its bonds

2

Billionaire George Soros has donated $102 million ahead of the midterms—and now the Democrats are coming out ahead

3

Mike Rowe on America’s great tradesperson shortage: ‘I don’t care what your politics are. Math doesn’t care, either’

1

The 'golden passport': Argentina to offer citizenship for foreigners that make a $350,000 contribution to its treasury—or invest $800,000 in its bonds

2

Billionaire George Soros has donated $102 million ahead of the midterms—and now the Democrats are coming out ahead

3

Mike Rowe on America’s great tradesperson shortage: ‘I don’t care what your politics are. Math doesn’t care, either’

Apple is now worth more than … the Great Wall of China

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 24, 2011, 7:04 AM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

With a market cap north of $340 billion, the company invites incongruous comparisons



The Great Wall. Photo: Nicolas M. Perrault

There’s a new parlor game being played on Tumbler called Things Apple Is Worth More Than.

The rules are simple: Take Apple’s (AAPL) market cap — $346.36 billion as of Tuesday’s market close — and find something huge that has a lower value. There are a dozen entries so far on Tumbler. In chronological order:

  • All 32 Eurozone banks
  • The Great Wall of China (at $0.52 a brick)
  • 45 days of global oil consumption
  • The cost of America’s obesity epidemic
  • Total U.S. corporate income tax for 2011
  • The combined value of every home in Detroit and Tampa
  • Slightly less than the big three drug makers
  • Every home in Atlanta
  • 10 times the total paid in federal child support in the U.S. last year
  • The five largest ETFs (exchange-traded funds)
  • 10 years of silver production
  • The combined GDP of Israel, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon

It’s a game anyone can play. This particular list is curated by Joshua Brown, a New York City-based financial analyst who writes a blog called The Reformed Broker. You can forward suggestions by e-mail to The Reformed Broker or via Twitter to Downtown Josh Brown @ReformedBroker.


About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.