Headquarters: Omaha, Neb.
Revenue: $162.5 billion
Profit: $14.8 billion
2012 rank: 7
Warrren Buffett’s holdings company made a huge acquisition to start off 2013, teaming up with 3G Capital to buy Heinz for $23 billion. In 2012, Berkshire Hathaway spent $344 million to buy 28 local newspapers. This is the company’s first appearance in the Top 5.