The Biggest Tobacco Companies in the World

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The lack of health benefits associated with tobacco doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference in the tobacco industry. The world’s largest tobacco companies are still highly profitable and valuable, despite the surgeon general’s repeated warnings about the adverse affects of tobacco on a person’s health. With talks of a major tobacco merger in the works between two of the biggest tobacco suppliers in the world, it makes you wonder just how much the world’s leading tobacco companies are worth.

Universal Corp/VA – $1.28 billion

While not technically a company that sells tobacco to the public, it’s a big industry dealer. This company packages and sells tobacco leafs to the major companies that do sell tobacco to the public in the form of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products. This company performs well in the stock market, providing a generous return for its investors as one of the leading tobacco leaf producers in the world.

Lorillard Inc. – $24.37 billion

This company, Lorillard Inc., packages and sells cigarettes in the United States. They produce and sell your everyday cigarettes and tobacco products as well as the increasingly popular electronic cigarettes, to consumers. The Lorillard Inc. brands can be found not only in the US, but across the world, as well. Since smoking and other tobacco products are popular in more than just this country, the corporation’s bottom line sees the benefits of marketing worldwide.

Reynolds American Inc. – 33.87 billion

Reynolds American Inc. is one of the leading producers of tobacco in the world. The company produces brands through subsidiaries across the country and in several other countries. These subsidiary brands are easily found in retail establishments worldwide, which is one reason the company is such a profitable one.

Altria Group Inc. – $86.11 billion

Altria Group Inc. has a huge market cap because of the industry success it oversees. This company not only manufactures tobacco, but wine and other products as well. These products are found in supermarkets, gas stations and other chain stores and specialty stores around the world, which helps the bottom line. With such popular products available to consumers in a variety of categories, the company sees a large profit.

Philip Morris International – $135.19 billion

Philip Morris is by far the most successful and biggest manufacturer of tobacco products in the world, as its market cap suggests. Philip Morris produces some of the most well known tobacco products, including Marlboros, Virginia Slims, Parliament and Red & White, just to name a few. It’s a prime example of how well this industry performs despite the common knowledge how dangerous and unhealthy tobacco is on a person’s body.

(Photo illustration by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Written by Tiffany Raiford

Tiffany Raiford is a lifelong Floridian, wife to my high school sweetheart and mother of four littles (two girls and boy/girl twins...no, they are not identical and yes, I'm sure). My kids love to whine, so I love to wine. My loves include nap time, bed time, date night, travel and evenings and weekends when my husband is home because he handles all diaper changes.