Top 10: Largest privately held companies

The largest privately held companies in the United States last year were:

1. Cargill, food, drink and tobacco, including Horizon Milling in Chattanooga, $133.9 billion in revenues

2. Koch Industries, conglomerate business, $115 billion in revenues

3. Mars, food, drink and tobacco, including M&M plant in Cleveland, Tenn., $70 billion in revenues

4. Bechtel, construction, including contractor for TVA, $53 billion in revenues

5. PricewaterhouseCoopers, accounting firm, $31.5 billion in revenues

6. PilotFlying J, truck stop chain based in Knoxville, $29.3 billion in revenues

7. Publix Super Markets, grocery chain with four stores in Chattanooga, $27 billion in revenues

8. Ernst & Young, accounting firm with $24.4 billion in revenues

9. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, $22 billion in revenues

10. C&S Wholesale Grocers, food, drink and tobacco, $21.7 billion in revenues

Source: Forbes magazine, "America's Largest Private Companies."

The 21 Highest Paid TV Hosts

Michael Strahan joined Kelly Ripa to co-host "Live!" in 2012.

How does Jon Stewart's paycheck compare to that of morning hosts Kelly Ripa or Matt Lauer? TV Guide has rolled out its annual list of television's highest-paid stars.
From television actors and reality celebrities to daytime and late-night personalities, the four-page report gives a broad look at more than 160 salaries according to numbers from television executives and industry insiders.
To make sense of all the numbers, we've ranked the highest-paid daytime, primetime, and news host salaries.
Maury Povitch's daytime infamous "You are not the father!" segments have led him to receive a paycheck higher than journalists Ann Curry, Anderson Cooper, and Diane Sawyer.
While Jay Leno and David Letterman once commanded the highest salaries on late night, Viacom is reportedly pouring even more money into "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: How The World's Highest-Paid Female Athlete Makes And Spends Her Millions

Maria Sharapova has been the talk of the U.S. Open and now she won't even be playing in it because of a shoulder injury. But before she was sidelined, she flirted with the idea of changing her name to Maria Sugarpova to promote her candy company during the U.S. Open.
It was an absurd idea, but it highlights that fact that Sharapova — the highest-earning female athlete in the world — is a multi-million dollars brand.
That money has allowed her to live a globetrotting lifestyle with fancy clothes, expensive cars, and a young new boyfriend.

15 Famous Athletes Who Barely Make Any Money In Endorsements

The group of athletes who have seven-figure endorsement deals is smaller than you think. While a few of elite, charismatic players in every sport might make as much money in endorsements as they do in salary, the vast majority of players make almost nothing off the field.
Even among Forbes' top-100 highest-earning athletes in the world, there are popular players who make surprising little in sponsorships.
Some are understandable (A-Rod), but others are head-scratchers.

9 Billionaires Who Were College Dropouts

You will recognize the men below as some of the richest in the world. But did you also know that none of them completed college? Some of them didn’t even graduate from high school, yet they went on to amass enormous fortunes and create humanity-changing companies. So what does this say about the of utility college education? Perhaps nothing – college is a reasonable way for most people to launch their careers. On the other hand, these examples prove that for the truly intelligent, motivated, and brave, there may be better ways to spend several youthful years than sitting in a classroom. But note; these are the very few. Finish college and then go out there and make your hustle.

Sir Richard Branson

Estimated net worth: 8.6 billion USD
Sir Branson left school when he was only 16. Ironically, his first successful business was publishing a magazine called Student. Today, Branson is known for his brand Virgin, which includes Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and over 300 other companies. Also adding to his grandeur, Sir Branson bought his own 79-acre Caribbean island when he was just 24 and he was knighted in 1999.