Headquarters: Bentonville, Ark.
Revenue: $469.2 billion
Profit: $16.9 billion
2012 rank: 2
Wal-Mart and ExxonMobil have traded the top spot back and forth several times, but the world’s largest retailer comes out on top this time despite a year rife with controversy: It faces accusation that its Mexican subsidiary bribed government officials in order to expand locations there, and the probe has since expanded to Brazil, India, and China. Nevertheless, the retailer operates a multinational empire, with 10,800 stores operating in 26 nations besides the US, and employing some 2.2 million employers, making it the largest private employer in the world.
