The Fastest Companies to Turn a Profit
It was the older and well-known tech firms such as Apple and Google that were those to turn a profit quickest. This is potentially due to a lack of competitors at the time, compared with the rapidly expanding tech industry today.
1
Ford
5 months
to turn a profit
After a falling out with his financial backers, Henry Ford abandoned his initial company, the Henry Ford Company, and went into business with an old acquaintance. With the help of a number of big investors, Ford created the Ford Motor Company in June 1903. By October, the company saw its first profits.
Back in 1976, at the beginning of Apple, the company produced and sold one product, the Apple I. The Apple I initially sold just 200 units, but it was enough to keep pushing the company forward. The Apple II was released in 1977 and by 1978 the company was pulling in its first net profit, just two years after it was founded.
3
Intel
3 years
to turn a profit
For it’s first few years, Intel made hefty losses each year. It wasn’t until the creation and release of the DRAM, the first first commercially available dynamic random-access memory, in 1970 which led to Intel’s first ever recorded profit by 1971.
4
Alphabet / Google
3 years
to turn a profit
It took Google an additional year to become profitable. Founded in 1998, it wasn’t until the introduction of Adwords, a credit-card-activated self-service ad program, in 2000 that led the company towards its first quarterly profit a year later at the end of 2001.
5
Meta / Facebook
5 years
to turn a profit
Facebook, now Meta, took five years to reach profitability. Founded in 2004, Facebook grew quickly being initially targeted to university students at Ivy League colleges. After opening to everyone over the age of 13 in 2006, Facebook turned its first profit in 2009.
