13 Massive Companies That Started During A Recession

April 16, 2020 | Posted at 9:30 pm | by Kelly (Follow User)


General Electric

Year Launched: 1892
2019 Revenue: $95.2 Billion

 

General Motors

Year Launched: 1908
2019 Revenue: $137.2 Billion

 

IBM

Year Launched: 1911
2019 Revenue: $77.1 Billion

 

Disney

Year Launched: 1929
2019 Revenue: $69.6 Billion

 

HP

Year Launched: 1939
2019 Revenue: $58.8 Billion

 

Hyatt

Year Launched: 1957
2019 Revenue: $5.0 Billion

 

Trader Joe’s

Year Launched: 1958
2019 Revenue (Estimated): $13.3 Billion

 

FedEx

Year Launched: 1971
2019 Revenue: $65.5 Billion

 

Microsoft

Year Launched: 1975
2019 Revenue: $125.8 Billion

 

Electronic Arts

Year Launched: 1982
2019 Revenue: $4.5 Billion

 

Honorable Mentions: Salesforce, Google, and Facebook

Though technically not started during recessions, these three giants were all launched right before major economic meltdowns: Google (1998) and Salesforce (1999) right before the dot-com bubble burst, and Facebook (2004) shortly before the Great Recession. Having weathered the storms, these three companies posted a combined $72.77 billion in revenue in 2019 alone.


Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. — Mark Twain

Sure, it’s going to be hard. Entrepreneurs need to make better decisions, operate lean and act swiftly — much more so than if they were in the middle of a booming market. But as these iconic brands have shown us, there should be nothing that stops you from chasing your dreams.