15. Volkswagen

Volkswagen AG, the German automaker was founded by the German Labour Front under Adolf Hitler. Internationally it has faced many controversies like the recent emissions scandal, but they haven't influenced the company profits. It reported an annual profit of $284.4 billion last year. The group also is in charge of multiple vehicle brands like Audi, SEAT, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Scania, MAN, and Škoda.

14. Huawei

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd is a Chinese multinational that is the largest telecom equipment manufacturer in the world and the second biggest smartphone producer. With operations in 170 countries, it has a customer base of millions spread across the globe.

The firm is known for its research and development and is currently working on next-gen cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT). Its turnover for the past year was $92.5 billion globally.

13. Shell

Officially known as the Royal Dutch Shell plc, Shell is a British-Dutch oil and gas company that has operations in 70 countries around the world. Its symbol is easily recognised my many consumers in different countries. The company made $305.1 billion in revenue last year.

12. McDonald's

McDonald's is one of the most powerful fast food brands in the world. Its yellow logo forming a curved "M" is probably more recognised than other brands by a common man. It has its presence in 36,000 locations in 101 countries.

The US-based brand made over $22.8 billion last year, which is more than any other food-brand.

11. Disney

Children around the world have grown up watching Disney TV shows and collecting merchandise. Their movies and theme parks are enjoyed by adults too. Disney holds a AAA+ brand rating on the recent BrandFinace Global 500. It had reported a revenue of $55.1 billion last year.

10. BMW

A brand that is always associated with luxury and prestige; it has maintained a stellar reputation. The German car maker has factories in 5 continents producing millions of high-end cars. Its turnover for the previous year was $116.1 billion.

9. Toyota

In terms of Volume, Toyota is the largest manufacturer of automobiles, making 10 million vehicles per year. It is the leading hybrid vehicle producer and manufacturer of vehicle components.

The  Toyota Production System (TPS) now known as "lean production" was one of the most influential philosophies in manufacturing which helped in reducing waste produced and improved the overall efficiency of the production. Various management studies have been conducted on this philosophy to implement them in businesses.

8. Mercedes Benz

The German company was founded in 1926. Its logo is iconic and the brand is often equated to prestige. It is a part of Daimler AG, which reported a revenue of $202 billion last year.

7. Walmart

It is the largest company in the world in terms of revenue. Walmart is a household brand in many countries especially the USA. It operates as Asda in countries other than US, Canada and Mexico. It had a massive revenue of $485.9 billion last year.

6. Microsoft

Their products like Office and Windows are everyday tools required by most companies and individuals around the world. Headquartered in Washington, it owns Skype and Linkedin, two major business networking platforms.

Its revenue last year amounted to $90 billion.

5. Facebook

Despite its recent data breach scandal, Facebook remains one of the most popular social networking sites in the world. As of December 2017, it had 2.2 billion active users and a behemoth turnover of $40.7 billion last year.

4. Samsung

Samsung is into maunufacturing electronics, ships and cars. The South Korean conglomerate also operates theme parks, offers insurance and an ad agency. The brand is the most recognisable throughout the world and is not highly affected by its competitors due to its diverse businesses. Last year, it posted a revenues worth $305 billion.

3. Google

We have become so dependant on its search engine that word Google is now equivalent to a verb. It impacted our lives with its wide range of products and services. From Android phone to advertisements to maps, Google has made us highly dependent on its services.

Its parent company Alphabet made $110.9 billion in revenue last year.

2. Amazon

Amazon transformed the way people shopped around the world. With a consistent development in its business model, Amazon made e-commerce shopping user friendly and gave users access to a large variety of products to choose from.
The US-based online shopping brand, which was once known only for book sales, is now the most valued brand in the world according to BrandFinance Global 500. It made a profit of $177.9 billion last year.

1. Apple

Apple is on top of the list for being the only company that created products that are not just influential but a symbol of prestige. Its products are known for innovation and revolutionizing the way people used technology, so much that its features have been replicated by other brands.

The iPhone and Mac manufacturer made a revenue of over $229.2 billion last year.