It is no secret that a small group of financial institutions run a major part of the world economy.
Using a methodology based on 'network topology', a team of Swiss researchers -- Stefania Vitali, James B Glattfelder and Stefano Battiston -- has identified which financial actors are at the core of the global economy.
Here are the top 10 firms that rule the world.
Click NEXT to see the world's top players...
10 companies that rule the world!
Barclays
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Banking
Revenue: 31.440 billion pounds (2010)
Employees: 145,000 (2011)
World ranking: 1
Barclays is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
As of 2010 it was the world's 10th-largest banking and financial services group and 21st-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.
It has operations in over 50 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America and around 48 million customers.
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10 companies that rule the world!
The Capital Group Companies
Country: United States
Industry: Financial services
Revenue: Not available
Employees: 7,500
World ranking: 2
The Capital Group Companies is one of the world's largest investment management organizations with assets of around $1 trillion under management.
It comprises a group of investment management companies, including Capital Research and Management, American Funds, Capital Bank and Trust, Capital Guardian and Capital International.
As measured by assets under management, Capital rivals Fidelity Investments, a figure the company will not confirm because it eschews publicity.
The firm was founded in 1931 by Jonathan Bell Lovelace.
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10 companies that rule the world!
Fidelity Investments
Country: United States
Industry: Financial services
Revenue: Not available
Employees: 38.000 (2009)
World ranking: 3
Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation one of the largest mutual fund and financial services groups in the world.
It was founded in 1946 and serves North American investors. Fidelity Ventures is its venture capital arm.
Fidelity International Limited was an international affiliate founded in 1969, serving most countries in the rest of the world.
In September 2011, FIL was rebranded as Fidelity Worldwide Investment.
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10 companies that rule the world!
AXA
Country: France
Industry: Financial services
Revenue: 90.97 billion euros (2010)
Employees: 102,960 (2010)
World ranking: 4
AXA is a French global insurance group headquartered in the eighth arrondissement of Paris.
It is a conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and regulations of many different countries.
The group of companies engage in life, health and other forms of insurance, as well as investment management.
It operates primarily in Western Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East.
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10 companies that rule the world!
State Street Corporation
Country: United States
Industry: Financial services
Revenue: $8.953 billion (2010)
Employees: 28,670 (2010)
World ranking: 5
State Street Corporation is a US-based financial services holding company. It was founded in 1792, and is headquartered in the Financial District area of Boston at One Lincoln Street.
State Street has offices in major financial centres throughout the world.
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10 companies that rule the world!
JP Morgan and Chase
Country: United States
Industry: Banking and financial services
Revenue: $102.694 billion (2010)
Employees: 250,095 (2011)
World ranking: 6
JPMorgan Chase and Company is an American multinational banking corporation of securities, investments and retail.
It is the largest bank in the United States by assets and market capitalization.
It is a major provider of financial services, with assets of $2 trillion and according to Forbes magazine is the world's largest public company.
The hedge fund unit of JPMorgan Chase is one of the largest hedge funds in the United States.
It was formed in 2000, when Chase Manhattan Corporation merged with JP Morgan and Co.
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10 companies that rule the world!
Legal and General Group
Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Financial services
Revenue: 38,440 million pounds (2010)
Employees: 9,324 (2009)
World ranking: 7
Legal and General Group is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Its products include life insurance, general insurance, pensions and investments.
It has operations in the United Kingdom, Egypt, France, Germany, the Gulf, India, the Netherlands and the United States.
As at December 31, 2010, it had total funds under management of 354 billion pounds.
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10 companies that rule the world!
Vanguard Group
Country: United States
Industry: Investment management
Revenue: Not available
Employees: 12,000 (2008)
World ranking: 8
The Vanguard Group is an American investment management company based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, that manages $1.6 trillion in assets.
It offers mutual funds and other financial products and services to individual and institutional investors in the United States and abroad.
Founder and former chairman John C Bogle is credited with the creation of the first index fund available to individual investors, the popularization of index funds generally, and driving costs down across the mutual fund industry.
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10 companies that rule the world!
UBS
Country: Switzerland
Industry: Banking and financial services
Revenue: $47.529 billion (2010)
Employees: 64,617 (2010)
World ranking: 9
UBS is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zurich, Switzerland, which provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland.
It operates in more than 40 countries and considered as the world's second-largest manager of private wealth assets.
UBS operates in all of the major financial centres worldwide with offices in over 50 countries and 64,000 employees around the world.
UBS traces its heritage to 1854 and it is the largest bank in Switzerland.
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10 companies that rule the world!
Merrill Lynch
Country: United States
Industry: Finance and insurance
Revenue: Not available
Employees: 60,000 (2008)
World ranking: 10
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage.
Merrill agreed to a purchase by Bank of America on September 14, 2008, at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. It ceased to exist as a separate entity in January 2009.
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