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0 pointsJumpCrisscross7mo ago0 comments

> There's difference between running on a margin of 5% and 90% at those scale

OP said revenue, not profit. And neither of those numbers are relevant to Google, which runs a 32% (28%) operating (net) margin [1].

That said, yes, Google is the most profitable company in the world [2]. But its $116bn is not in a different league from Microsoft's $102bn, Apple's $99bn or Saudi Aramco's $96bn.

[1] https://s206.q4cdn.com/479360582/files/doc_financials/2025/q...

[2] https://www.financecharts.com/screener/most-profitable

0 comments

Wowfunhappy7mo ago

...I kind of don't understand why revenue is ever a useful metric. I imagine I could make a lot of revenue selling hundred dollar bills for $10.

jcranmer7mo ago

The value of revenue as a metric is that you can't really play financial games to screw with revenue, while there's lots of stuff you can do to inflate or deflate your profit. See, e.g., Hollywood accounting.

Neither revenue nor profit is the full story, though.

JumpCrisscrossOP7mo ago

> you can't really play financial games to screw with revenue

Accrual accounting gives lots of room for revenue-recognition fuckery [1].

[1] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/revenuerecognition.asp

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