# Conglomerate hierarchy map? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100 "2004-01-26T04:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LeeBreisacher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@LeeBreisacher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeBreisacher)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/1 "2004-01-26T04:03:11Z")
I know there are really only about 5 actual companies in the world that own all the others in one giant interlocking conglomerate mass. OK, so I’m exagerating, but what I really would like to see is a big map or hierarchy chart showing most of the big conglomerates and all the companies they own and the ones that the children own, etc. For example, take a look at [http://www.conagrafoods.com/brandfinder/index.jsp?BrandID=all](http://www.conagrafoods.com/brandfinder/index.jsp?BrandID=all). ConAgra Foods is a huge pile of individual brands, each of which is or was a whole company. And of course there’s the obvious media giants (Disney, AOL-TW, etc). So, does anyone know of a resource that shows this kind of information? Some history of mergers and aquisitions to see how these giants came to be would be an added bonus. I’ve searched the web a bit, to no avail. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/2 "2004-01-26T04:55:18Z")
Try checking out the [Forbes International 500](http://www.forbes.com/2003/07/07/internationaland.html), the 500 largest companies in terms of revenue. They should have links to the companies for more information. You will note that ConAgra isn’t even large enough to make the list, which should provide a hint of how large the world really is and what nonsense the notion that just a few companies own everything is. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/3 "2004-01-26T05:00:02Z")
Hey, there was a smilie at the end of my post. What happened to it? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/4 "2004-01-26T05:12:43Z")
Here’s a list of conglomerates: [http://www.stockselector.com/allinind.asp?indnumber=210](http://www.stockselector.com/allinind.asp?indnumber=210) I’m surprised they don’t include this one (used to be Phillip Morris): [http://www.altria.com/about\_altria/01\_00\_AboutAltriaOver.asp](http://www.altria.com/about_altria/01_00_AboutAltriaOver.asp) Media conglomerates: [http://www.topiawebsearch.com/Business/ArtsandEntertainment/MediaConglomerates/](http://www.topiawebsearch.com/Business/ArtsandEntertainment/MediaConglomerates/) Let’s not leave out the Japanese companies: [http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/global500.shtml](http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/global500.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/5 "2004-01-27T03:29:26Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Hey, there was a smilie at the end of my post. What happened to it? With all the changes on the board, the :wally: :smack: :dubious: and ;j smilies appear to be out of order. ---
**Author:** ![LeeBreisacher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@LeeBreisacher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeBreisacher)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/6 "2004-01-28T04:09:35Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Try checking out the [Forbes International 500](http://www.forbes.com/2003/07/07/internationaland.html), the 500 largest companies in terms of revenue. They should have links to the companies for more information. > > You will note that ConAgra isn’t even large enough to make the list, which should provide a hint of how large the world really is and what nonsense the notion that just a few companies own everything is. :dubious: A bit more research… the Forbes International 500 is just companies based outside the US. The list we (well, I) really want is the Global 2000 which is ALL companies worldwide. On that list, ConAgra is #203. But anyway, unable to find the kind of “map” I’m looking for, I started compiling my own by going through some of the Global 2000 companies, visiting their websites and extracting their subsidiary/brands. Amazing stuff. ---
**Author:** ![LeeBreisacher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@LeeBreisacher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeBreisacher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/7 "2004-02-03T06:41:05Z")
Apparently no one cares about this except me, but for completeness… I finally found what I was looking for at [www.corporateaffiliations.com](http://www.corporateaffiliations.com) (apparently run by LexisNexis). It appears to be a giant database of all the corporate relationships - what they refer to as “who owns whom”. Tons of information. The only problem: it costs about $2k/year to access it (yes, that’s 2 thousand dollars). A bit out of my price range - I was thinking of something, oh, say, free. OTOH, it appears that some public libraries subscribe to this service, so I’m gonna go check out my local branch and see what I can find. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conglomerate-hierarchy-map/226100/8 "2004-02-03T08:05:20Z")
Well, for media companies, the _Columbia Journalism Review_ has put out a [pretty comprehensive list](http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/) of the large media players and what they each own. I’d guess this is a more up-to-date list than the one that [AdBusters](http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/mediacarta/toolbox/who_owns/) shows, since AdBusters lists Westinghouse as a separate entity, but (AFAIK) after Westinghouse bought CBS, it took the CBS name and then got rolled into Viacom. For food companies, there’s a pretty interesting [map](http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/services/corporate-ownership.html) of the organic brand ownerships – which reminds me, your search is made harder by the fact that some companies (such as M&M Mars) are privately owned, and may not show up in things like the Fortune 500 lists, which only track publicly-traded entities