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As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

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'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

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One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion

Apple is now worth more than … the Great Wall of China

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
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By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
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August 24, 2011, 7:04 AM ET
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With a market cap north of $340 billion, the company invites incongruous comparisons



The Great Wall. Photo: Nicolas M. Perrault

There’s a new parlor game being played on Tumbler called Things Apple Is Worth More Than.

The rules are simple: Take Apple’s (AAPL) market cap — $346.36 billion as of Tuesday’s market close — and find something huge that has a lower value. There are a dozen entries so far on Tumbler. In chronological order:

  • All 32 Eurozone banks
  • The Great Wall of China (at $0.52 a brick)
  • 45 days of global oil consumption
  • The cost of America’s obesity epidemic
  • Total U.S. corporate income tax for 2011
  • The combined value of every home in Detroit and Tampa
  • Slightly less than the big three drug makers
  • Every home in Atlanta
  • 10 times the total paid in federal child support in the U.S. last year
  • The five largest ETFs (exchange-traded funds)
  • 10 years of silver production
  • The combined GDP of Israel, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon

It’s a game anyone can play. This particular list is curated by Joshua Brown, a New York City-based financial analyst who writes a blog called The Reformed Broker. You can forward suggestions by e-mail to The Reformed Broker or via Twitter to Downtown Josh Brown @ReformedBroker.


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By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
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