As of 2016, the world’s top three holding companies by trade revenue are:

Kraft Foods Inc.
The Coca-Cola Company
American Express Co.
Kraft Foods Inc. is a food and beverage holding company with a revenue of 54.365 billion USD. It was initially founded as a holding company with interests in the US ice cream market, before gradually expanding into many other sectors. It currently (2016) owns 124 companies from various sectors as subsidiaries, making it one of the largest holding companies in the world.

The Coca-Cola Company is a syrup and non-alcoholic drinks holding company with a revenue of 44.294 billion USD. It is best known for its brand drink, Coca-Cola. The holding company itself, and its subsidiaries, are mostly focused on producing syrup bases for their drinks, which are then sold to a number of other companies that hold a Coca-Cola bottling license for producing the drinks. Some of these bottlers are independent, while some are owned by the holding company, comprising a separate tier of subsidiaries.

American Express Co. is a financial services holding company with a revenue of 34.44 billion USD. Its signature product is the American Express credit card, the fourth most popular credit card in the world. It became a holding company in 2008, driven by the ongoing financial crisis, which made the business eligible for certain types of government aid. This allowed it to maintain its strong position even in the midst of international economic instability.