Amazon
The biggest online store in the world outside China, American, and owner of AWS, the largest cloud provider anywhere.
12 figures on Amazon, drawn from 4 Modern MBA case studies.
The figures
US dollars4
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Market capitalization of the world's most valuable companies in 2024 | $1,840B | 4th of 10 · top $3,358B | Why Ozempic is so expensive |
| Revenue, operating income and AI capital expenditure at the five companies funding the boom · Revenue | $639B | 1st of 5 · top $639B | Why the AI boom is the dot-com bubble again |
| Value of $1,000 invested in 2010 and held to 2019 | $13,799 | 2nd of 7 · top $41,255 | Why self-checkout didn't replace cashiers |
| Revenue, operating income and AI capital expenditure at the five companies funding the boom · AI capital expenditure | −$125B | 5th of 5 · worst −$125B | Why the AI boom is the dot-com bubble again |
Percentages8
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross profit margin · 2022 | 44% | 1st of 7 · top 44% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
| Gross margins of platforms against brands and manufacturers | 44% | 7th of 8 · top 82% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
| Gross profit margin · 2021 | 42% | 2nd of 7 · top 44% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
| Gross profit margin · 2019 | 41% | 3rd of 7 · top 44% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
| Gross profit margin · 2018 | 40% | 4th of 7 · top 44% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
| Gross profit margin · 2020 | 40% | 4th of 7 · top 44% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
| Gross profit margin · 2017 | 37% | 6th of 7 · top 44% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
| Gross profit margin · 2016 | 35% | 7th of 7 · top 44% | Why Temu and Wish can't make money |
Case studies covering Amazon
Case study — TechnologyWhy the AI boom is the dot-com bubble againDifferent technology, same house of cards — and this time the pump happened in private, where nothing is marked to market.10 min read
Case study — ServicesWhy Ozempic is so expensiveThe same two companies that quintupled the price of insulin now want obesity classified as a disease.16 min read
Case study — Retail & brandsWhy self-checkout didn't replace cashiersAmazon's cashierless store was a thousand people in India watching cameras. Every retailer copied it anyway.15 min read
Case study — TechnologyWhy Temu and Wish can't make moneyWish spent 90 cents of every revenue dollar on ads to buy customers worth $10. AliExpress never profited either. Temu is next.15 min read