2006 TOP TEN Number 9

Back in January, ExxonMobil posted record profits. No other company in US history had ever reported profits as high as the largest publicly traded oil company's more than $36 million take-home. This coming only days after Chevron reported a more than $4 billion dollar fourth quarter profit -- a company record!

Then in April, the CEO of ExxonMobil retired only after accepting a pension/compensation package of $168 million for forty-three years of service. In the coming weeks gasoline prices soared to twenty-one cents to a season high of $2.70 a gallon. These profits helped ExxonMobil achieve the prestiguos Fortune 1 spot dethroning WalMart as the nation's highest ranked, publicly traded company.

In July, it was reported that the company earned more than $1,300 per second! Gas prices soared to $3.15 per gallon.