A company that launched just four months ago has just become the most valuable company in the world. The last time this happened was 120 years ago. Few people noticed then, either.
That first time, in 1889, 42-year-old Thomas Edison found himself with multiple electricity-related companies. He had companies to grow the light bulb, electric sockets, the electric motor, and all sorts of electric appliances. So he created a new holding company, General Electric.
Over the next 100 years, General Electric sparked the entire industrial revolution. It pioneered radio, TV, power generation and powered the industrial and early technological revolution. A world that no one could imagine 100 years earlier.
In October 2015, 42-year-old Larry Page and Sergey Brin followed in the footsteps of Thomas Edison. Finding themselves with multiple technology-related companies, they created a new holding company, “Alphabet”.
Four months later, today on Feb 2nd, Alphabet has overtaken Apple, Exxon and Microsoft to become the most valuable company in the world, with a value of $554 billion.
If your ancestors in 1889 had looked at the main companies that General Electric owned when it was created, they could have predicted the most disruptive technologies for the next 100 years.
What do we find when we look at Alphabet in the same way? You would find seven companies pioneering seven different areas:
Google – Larry and Sergey’s original company (which owns Android and Youtube as well as their search site), continuing to grow 15% year on year.
Calico – Focusing at prolonging human life, and the potential of immortality.
Nest Labs – A multi-billion dollar company creating the smart home
GV – Pioneering robotics and self-driving cars
Google Fiber – Investing in wired internet at up one terrabyte per second (and soon beyond)
X – Investing in Project Loon and Project Wing, delivering internet everywhere
Google Capital – Google’s VC fund investing in China and India companies
Larry and Sergey are the modern day Edisons. They’re looking 100 years into the future.
Pick any of the areas that Google is betting on, and you’re looking into entirely new worlds that will shape our future in the years ahead.
What would you do differently if you could anticipate the future?
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