Chart: The Most Profitable Companies in the World Tech companies Apple and Microsoft, which benefited majorly from people working and socialising online, shot to the top of the ranking. An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Mike Segar/File Photo/File Photo World8 hours ago According to the Forbes Global 2000 published Friday, the coronavirus pandemic has shaken up the list of the most profitable (public) companies in the world. Tech companies Apple and Microsoft, which benefited majorly from people working and socialising online, shot to the top of the ranking, while banking and investment profits remained more stable. Google parent company Alphabet grew its profits to $40.3 billion up from $34.3 billion, up more than 17 percent.