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Trade

Goods moving, and the politics of who gains.

8
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10:46
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All briefs8
12:24

Itochu

A sogo shosha is not a conglomerate — it’s a trading nervous system with balance-sheet muscle.
9:48

Takeda

Chobei Takeda

Takeda’s origin story is misaligned with its present identity: it began as a repackaging merchant, not a drug developer. Its longevity reflects adaptability, not continuity.

10:10

AGCO

AGCO didn’t invent farm machinery — it acquired its way into the top tier of global tractor makers.
11:24

Alibaba Group

Jack Ma · 1999

Alibaba Group is a Chinese multinational technology company founded in 1999 in Hangzhou as a B2B e-commerce marketplace, now operating nine major subsidiaries including Taobao, Tmall, and Alibaba Cloud.

11:58

Marubeni

A trading company that outlives empires by never committing to one story—or one balance sheet.
11:00

Sumitomo Corporation

A '1919 company' that legally ceased to exist in 1947 — and rebuilt itself not as a startup, but as a sovereign-grade trading apparatus.
9:10

Samsung

Lee Byung-chul · 1938

Samsung’s origin contradicts its current identity: it was a trading and transport firm, not a tech innovator. Its electronics entry was late, small-scale, and licence-dependent — a strategic pivot enabled by infrastructure, not invention.

10:14

Walmart

Sam Walton · 1962

Walmart’s early success was mechanical, not magical. It used known levers — location, transport, procurement — with unusual discipline. Its story is not about disruption but about execution fidelity.