this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2025
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At least 2,145 senior-ranking NASA employees are set to leave under a push to shed staff, according to documents obtained by POLITICO — potentially spelling trouble for White House space policy and depriving the agency of decades of experience.

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[–] [email protected] -2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I was curious so I asked ChatGPT. The answer was surprising...all of them tower over Bell by nearly every financial measure...


Was Any Company Bigger Than Bell at Its Peak?

Short answer: Yes — by some metrics. But Bell was unique.


📡 Bell System at Its Peak

The Bell System (AT&T and its regional Bell companies) was a government-regulated telecom monopoly until its breakup in 1984.

  • Revenue (early 1980s): ~$70–80B/year
    → ~$220–250B today, inflation-adjusted
  • Employees: Over 1 million
  • Market Cap (est.): ~$100–150B in 1980s
    → ~$300–400B today
  • Market Share: ~90% of U.S. phone service
  • R&D: Bell Labs (invented transistor, UNIX, lasers, info theory, etc.)

In short: Bell controlled the entire U.S. telecom backbone and set the pace for global innovation.


🦷 Big Tech Today (as of 2025)

Company Market Cap Revenue (TTM) Employees
Apple ~$3.5T ~$420B ~150,000
Amazon ~$2T ~$600B ~1.5 million
Alphabet ~$2.5T ~$370B ~180,000
Microsoft ~$3.5T ~$300B ~220,000
Meta ~$1.3T ~$140B ~65,000
  • All exceed Bell’s revenue and market cap, even adjusted for inflation.
  • Amazon rivals Bell’s employee count, but largely due to warehouses and delivery.

🧠 Influence Comparison

Category Bell System FAANG & Friends
Revenue ~$220–250B (adj.) ✅ Yes (Apple, Amazon, etc.)
Market Cap ~$300–400B (adj.) ✅ Yes (multiple > $2T)
Employees ~1M ✅ Amazon (~1.5M)
Infrastructure Control National telecom monopoly ❌ No – rely on existing infra
Scientific Legacy Bell Labs (transistor, UNIX) ❌ Unmatched in corporate R&D
Monopoly Power Legally enforced monopoly ❓ De facto dominance (ads, data, AI)

🧾 TL;DR: Is Anyone "Bigger"?

By market value and revenue? ✅ Yes
By number of employees? ✅ Amazon
By influence on infrastructure, science, and policy? ❌ No — Bell was foundational

Bell wasn't just a company — it was the nervous system of American communication.