This graph shows how eighteenth -century corporations already doubled their value

In recent years, some technology companiesThey have climbed their capitalizations Meteorically to the point that, those known as the “7 magnificent”, already match or exceed the GDP of many countries. Every time one of the companies of this select group, formed by Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla, Reach a new record The idea is reinforced that there have never been such powerful companies.

However, history reminds us that this throne It is not new: There were corporations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that, adjusting their value to inflation, doubled and even tripled the value of the current “7 magnificent”.

Seven giants today, very great … but not so much

In 2025, Nvidia has reached a capitalization of 4.2 billion dollars, Microsoft of 3.8 billion, Apple 3.2 billion, Amazon 2.4 billion, Alphabet 2.2 billion, goal 1.8 billion and tesla 1.1 billion. Together, the seven largest technological companies in the world total 18.7 billion dollars (European billion in a long scale). A huge figure, which represents The stock market weight Combined of the seven largest technological companies on the planet.

However, if the graph prepared by Visual Capitalistleave a much more visual idea, and these figures pale when comparing them with the large business corporations that monopolized the lucrative trade between old Europe and their respective colonies.

The data represented in the graph are extracted from the respective capitalizations of the companies in July 2025, as well as the research published in The Motley Fool In 2012. The figures of the companies of the seventeenth and eighteenth century are adjusted to inflation, which leaves us an approximate idea of the enormous power of these commercial corporations, causing the “7 magnificent” to seem mere startups to their side.

The Dutch Company of the Eastern Indies: The Bubble of Flowers

Founded in 1602 and financed by the Dutch government, the Dutch Company of the Oriental Indies (VOC, for Dutch) was the corporation more powerful of his time. During the speculative boom of the “Tulipomania“In 1637, which gave rise to the first economic bubble in history.

During that time, the Dutch company of the Eastern Indies reached an estimated value of 78 million Dutch florins, which adjusted to inflation, would result in more than 10.2 billion dollars.

That means that, a single company of the seventeenth century, came to be more than double the sum of Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft together.

Unlike modern technological ones, the VOC not only traded with products, but also administered territories, negotiated treated, maintained its own army and even had the power to coin its own currency, functioning de facto as a overseas government. In modern terms, it would be a mixture of megacorporation, central bank and state geopolitical arm.

The Mississippi company and the South Sea Company

The 18th century also saw the corporate colossi flourish that, in the same way that they flourished, they withered to the pressure of the financial bubbles.

The Mississippi company, managed by the Economist John Law Under the support of the French monarchy, it reached a value equivalent to 8,350,000 million dollars in 1720 (8.35 billion).

Your model It was based on the exploitation of resources and commerce in the French colonies of North America, but ended up collapsing in one of the largest Stock bubbles of history.

For its part, the South Sea Company was created in 1711 by the British Government with the intention of consolidating and refinancing public debt in exchange for exclusive commercial rights with South America, especially in the territories under Spanish rule.

In theory, its business model was based on opening new routes and exploiting transatlantic maritime trade. In practice, their commercial activities were minimal. The promise of enormous future benefits promoted a stock market who triggered the value of his actions at exorbitant levels. Exactly the same as centuries later was lived with the Puntocom bubblea scenario that many compare already With investments in AI.

In 1720, the South Sea Company reached a capitalization equivalent to more than 5,520,000 million dollars. However, the lack of real income, financial secrecy and unbridled speculation precipitated the collapse. He bubble burst It caused an economic crisis in the United Kingdom, dragging private, parliamentarians and members of the nobility, and forcing legislative reforms in financial markets.

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Image | Visualcapitalist