Private Giants: Cargill Leads with $154 Billion in Annual Revenue

Visual Capitalist has ranked America's top 15 private companies by annual revenue, and food giants dominate the list. Cargill leads at $154 billion, followed closely by Koch at $125 billion. The two are the only companies on the list to exceed $100 billion in annual revenue.

The list is dominated by food and grocery companies, with more than half of the top 15 operating in these sectors. Publix, Mars, and H-E-B round out the top five, with revenues of $59.7 billion, $55 billion, and $49.6 billion respectively.

Cargill's massive revenue is driven by its production of grain exports and meat products. The company has been privately owned since 1865 and employs over 150,000 people across 70 countries.

While the top private companies may not generate as much attention as their public counterparts, they are still significant players in the US economy. Koch Inc., for example, generates $125 billion in revenue and operates through dozens of subsidiaries spanning energy, paper, chemicals, fertilizer, and finance.