Microsoft 2.0 – A New Company Under Satya Nadella In the late 1990s, Microsoft could do no wrong. The company, founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, was the most valuable in the world and Windows was selling like hotcakes. In December of 1999, the company even set a record by reaching nearly $620 billion in market capitalization at the height of the tech bubble. The company would subsequently begin to lose its way....

In our signature style⁠—combining art, data, and storytelling⁠—we helped millions of people make sense of unfolding events, from geopolitical flare-ups to stock market turmoil. Our growing team ranked, mapped, and visualized hundreds of new infographics on a multitude of topics. This year we continued to refine classic concepts such as All the World’s Money, Global Happiness, World’s Richest People, and Prediction Consensus. In this ninth edition of our yearly round-up, we’ve highlighted a small selection of our work, as well as pieces made by talented members of our Creator Program....

In this chart, we’ve used data from The Wealth Report 2021 by Knight Frank to list the 20 countries with the most UHNW individuals. What is Considered Ultra High Net Worth? To be considered an UHNW individual, one must have a net worth of at least $30 million. Net worth is a measure of someone’s current financial position, and is calculated as the value of their assets minus their liabilities....

In fact, a country’s reputation—its brand—is arguably one of its most important assets. A strong nation brand has the power to boost tourism, attract and retain talent, and potentially bring in foreign investment. This graphic uses data from Brand Finance’s Nation Brands 2020 report, which attempts to quantify the reputations of different countries around the world. We’ll also dive into the top 10 nation brands, and how their brand value has changed over time....

Today’s infographic comes to us from New Pacific Metals and it takes a look at the bull markets in silver prices and the future of silver. Silver Bulls: 1967 to Today The late 1960s marked the beginning of the end for silver as currency, but also the start of its use in protecting and securing wealth. In the United States, silver certificates were issued by the Treasury until late 1963, when the $1 Federal Reserve Note was released into circulation....

Despite economic uncertainty, pension funds saw relatively strong growth in 2021. The world’s 100 biggest pension funds are worth over $17 trillion in total, an increase of 8.5% over the previous year. This graphic uses data from the Thinking Ahead Institute to rank the world’s biggest pension funds, and where they are located. What is a Pension Fund? A pension fund is a fund that is designed to provide retirement income....

It’s easy to see why. Not only does the country provide access to world-class economic hubs like Silicon Valley, but the U.S. is also home to 14 of the top 20 universities in the world, many of which are famed for their research and alumni networks. Yet, there is cause for concern. International enrollments in the U.S. have slowed, while other countries are attracting a larger share of the global talent pool....

Fifth-generation wireless network technology, better known as 5G, is now being rolled out in major cities worldwide. By 2024, an estimated 1.5 billion mobile users─which account for 40% of current global activity─will be using 5G wireless networks. Today’s chart highlights three generations of wireless technology in the 21st century, and the differences between 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. 5G: The Next Great Thing? With over 5 billion mobile users worldwide, our world is growing more connected than ever....

While increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates are considered major achievements in modern science and healthcare, they will have a significant impact on future generations. Today’s graphic relies on OECD data to demonstrate how the old-age to working-age ratio will change by 2060, highlighting some of the world’s fastest aging countries. The Demographic Debacle By 2050, there will be 10 billion people on earth, compared to 7.7 billion today—and many of them will be living longer....

Today’s chart measures the extent to which 41 major economies are reopening, by plotting two metrics for each country: the mobility rate and the COVID-19 recovery rate: Data for the first measure comes from Google’s COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, which relies on aggregated, anonymous location history data from individuals. Note that China does not show up in the graphic as the government bans Google services. COVID-19 recovery rates rely on values from CoronaTracker, using aggregated information from multiple global and governmental databases such as WHO and CDC....

The highly-anticipated rollout of COVID-19 vaccines Supply chain disruptions and an ongoing semiconductor shortage Record-setting stimulus spending and debt accumulation by governments around the world The emergence of new variants of concern such as Delta and Omicron Big political upsets and the Capitol riots Rising evidence of (non-transitory) inflation Let’s take a look at which sectors thrived during the twists and turns of 2021—and which couldn’t stomach the volatility. Winners and Losers of 2021, by Sector Our visualization today uses an augmented screenshot of the FinViz treemap, showing the final numbers posted for major U....

Leaders and Laggards At this point no one can tell – but regardless of where the growth ends, such a level of dominance has never been achieved in the retail market like this before. A Prime Driver Although not as stunning as overall ecommerce market share, the company’s Prime Day numbers also illustrate the vast size and scale of the company. The most recent rendition of the annual event in July 2018 raked in $4....

Only a fraction of plastic waste is recycled, and about one-fifth ends up in the mismanaged category, meaning that it is dumped or littered without proper waste management practices. Mismanaged plastic waste threatens the land and marine environments, and most of it doesn’t decompose, polluting the environment for hundreds of years. The above infographic visualizes the largest contributors of mismanaged plastic waste in 2019, based on data from a study by Meijer et al....

There is even a standalone website tracking all tech layoffs in the United States. For the purposes of this infographic, we’ve used data from trueup.io which includes a mix of U.S. and international tech companies that have let workers go in 2022. A Thousand Cuts: Mass Layoffs by Tech Companies Layoffs are having an impact on the entire tech industry, and the phenomenon is global. Here are some of the most high-profile examples of mass layoffs in 2022: Meta: The social media giant faces competition from upstarts like TikTok, as well as a pool of ad dollars that is shrinking in the face of a faltering economy....

While this energy mix is still dominated by fossil fuels, there are signs of a steady shift to renewable energy over the past decade. This radial Sankey diagram using data from the EIA (Energy Information Administration) breaks down U.S. energy consumption in 2020, showing us how much each sector relies on various energy sources. The Balance of Energy Production and Consumption In 2019 and now in 2020, America’s domestic energy production has actually been greater than its consumption—a development that hasn’t taken place since 1957....

Customized cancer treatment, faux meat products, and the smart home technologies are frequently positioned as ‘the next big thing’. But which countries are consistently innovating the most? Today’s graphic comes from the seventh annual Bloomberg Innovation Index and highlights the 10 most innovative economies, and the seven metrics used to rank 2019’s top contenders. Measuring Innovation Bloomberg calculated each country’s innovation score using seven equally-weighted metrics. More than 200 countries were initially considered for Bloomberg’s Innovation Index....

That is a question that both voters and leaders alike would love to know the answer to. As it stands, scores of pundits and analysts already dissect everything from the choice of a tie, to whom a leader sits next to at a state dinner, to glean the potential direction of government policy. Financial markets rely on the accurate interpretation of government policy to guide investment decisions. But what happens when you’re faced with a world leader who broadcasts his unfiltered thoughts instantaneously and globally?...

Europe is scrambling to cut its reliance on Russian fossil fuels. As European gas prices soar eight times their 10-year average, countries are introducing policies to curb the impact of rising prices on households and businesses. These include everything from the cost of living subsidies to wholesale price regulation. Overall, funding for such initiatives has reached $276 billion as of August. With the continent thrown into uncertainty, the above chart shows allocated funding by country in response to the energy crisis....

When Tech Giants Go Shopping So far, 2014 has been a big year for the tech industry in regards to acquisitions. But if you think that Facebook’s $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp was the largest, you’d be mistaken. Acquisitions are a huge part of driving the tech industry forward. They bring in new ideas, fresh talent, proprietary technologies, and much more. For investors, an acquisition can mean big money, on both ends of a buyout....

Chances to be an early adopter in the next billion-dollar industry are far and few in between – but it’s exactly what is happening today with the nascent cannabis market. After close to a century of prohibition, cannabis is back in the limelight as legalization rolls across the U.S. and Canada. Visualizing the Retail Boom Today’s infographic from Choom Holdings Inc demonstrates the consumer interest in retail cannabis, and the challenges and opportunities that come with this potential....