Charts
New Study Gives a Close Look at Global Waste and Recycling
A study by Paper Boss sheds light on the countries generating the most garbage per person, revealing critical insights into global waste production and recycling efforts. The top 10 waste-producing nations are Bahrain, Comoros, Canada, Denmark, the U.S., Kuwait, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Moldova, and Luxembourg.
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Bahrain, despite its small size, leads the list with 907 kilograms of waste per person annually. Rapid population growth and high levels of construction and industrial activity contribute significantly to this figure. Canada, ranking third with 777 kilograms of waste per person, offsets some of its impact by recycling 27% of its trash.
Germany stands out as the global leader in recycling, with an impressive 47% recycling rate. This success stems from a well-established culture of sustainability, where children are taught to separate waste from an early age. Strict regulations, including fines for failing to recycle, further reinforce this commitment.
Interestingly, nations like Switzerland, Denmark, and Luxembourg appear on both the highest waste-producing and top-recycling lists, reflecting a complex balance between consumption and sustainability efforts.
The study underscores the pressing need to address rising waste levels worldwide. Countries like Germany demonstrate how prioritizing education, infrastructure, and accountability can lead to more sustainable practices. By adopting such strategies, other nations could work toward effectively reducing their environmental footprint and combating the global waste crisis.
Charts
These States Have the Cleanest Homes in the U.S.
The Oxi Fresh team has revealed the state of home cleanliness across the United States with a map ranking states by their score on the custom-made Oxi Fresh Home Cleanliness Index. Cleanliness can vary by cultural definitions and factors like busy lives can make our homes less clean than we would like. Studies have found that Americans spend about eight hours a month cleaning their homes. The team offers us a more in-depth look at the state of American cleanliness in their maps.
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The team formed the Home Cleanliness Index based on responses to survey questions. Five questions assessed how often residents perform specific cleaning tasks, like vacuuming, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, and changing bed sheets. They were also asked to rate their home’s cleanliness, the amount of clutter in their home, and how comfortable they would be with unexpected guests seeing their home in its current state. Lastly, the team asked whether residents in these states use a professional cleaning service.
These 10 states had the highest scores on the index:
- Wyoming
- Delaware
- Rhode Island
- Kansas
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Tennessee
Wyoming residents are the cleanest, and they know it! 96% of them would be proud to have unexpected guests over who see the state of their home as it is. Wyoming homeowners deep-clean their carpets the most, mop the most, and change their bed linens the most often. It seems Wyoming homemakers prioritize cleaning and take great pride in their homes.
On the other side of the coin, these were the states with the lowest scores:
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Maryland
- Maine
- Oregon
- Oklahoma
- Hawaii
- North Dakota
- Washington
- Utah
Utah had the lowest score overall at 69.76 out of 180 points. Utah residents reported the lowest scores for home cleanliness, but their data lends some credence to this. They dust, vacuum, and mop the least frequently. Utah may struggle with cleanliness due to its poor air quality. It has some of the worst air quality in the United States, with dust drifting in from the Great Salt Lake playa, as well as high emissions from gasoline vehicles and wood-burning stoves. Utah residents may feel they’re fighting a losing battle against dust, dirt, and grime and have lowered their standards.
There are many fun and interesting facts to glean from the team’s data. Delaware residents vacuum and mop the most, while Vermont residents maintain the cleanest kitchens with the highest number of kitchen counter wipe-downs. People in Iowa are the most likely to hire a professional cleaner. Arizona residents mop the least, maybe because the dry environment keeps out mud. Georgia and Arizona residents vacuum their carpets the least, but perhaps carpets and rugs aren’t as popular in these warm states. The data gathered here provide numerous opportunities to reflect on how various state factors may influence cleaning standards and norms.
Business Visualizations
The Largest Companies in America That Are Still Run by the Person Who Founded Them
In the corporate world, leadership changes are practically expected. CEOs come and go, boards shuffle seats, and strategies pivot with the seasons. For most large corporations, the founding vision eventually gives way to the influence of successors, but every once in a while, a company manages to scale the peaks of the Fortune 1000 while still being led by the very person who dreamed it up in the first place.
Going from running a business out of your garage to managing a multi-billion-dollar operation requires an impressive mix of genius, grit, and endurance that most would struggle to sustain across decades of board meetings, bold bets, and bottom-line pressure.
So, what does it take to build a business worth billions and still be the one calling the shots? To find out, our team at The Chartistry has pulled together a graphic that maps out the largest companies in the U.S. that are still being run by the same people who started them.
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Tech Giants Still Calling the Shots
The tech industry can be a volatile market, especially when billions of dollars are at stake every year, making founder-CEOs in this space a rare species. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook (now Meta), is a headline example. From the scrappy days of coding in his Harvard dorm to overseeing Meta’s $134.9 billion revenue machine, he hasn’t let go of the reins. His company now ranks 30th on the Fortune 1000 list, but it continues to operate under the umbrella of Zuckerberg’s vision.
Jensen Huang of NVIDIA is another powerhouse. He co-founded the company in 1993 and continues to lead it as CEO and President. NVIDIA is now a central player in the AI boom, raking in over $60.9 billion in 2024. The company landed at #65 on the Fortune list, and much of that momentum can be traced back to Huang’s technical savvy and leadership style.
Another founder-CEO of a big tech company is Michael Dell. After founding Dell Technologies in 1984, Dell stepped away briefly before returning to steer the company through its privatization and subsequent return to public markets. With $88.43 billion in revenue, it holds spot #48 on the list.
Long-Hauler Founders of the Biggest U.S. Companies
Wall Street can be brutal, yet some of the longest-tenured company founders make the ranks in this industry. Richard Fairbank has run Capital One since 1987, long before online banking was the norm. Under his leadership, the company pulled in $49.48 billion last year.
Larry Fink’s story is equally impressive. He co-founded BlackRock in 1988 and helped turn it into the world’s largest asset manager. It now generates $17.86 billion annually.
Then there’s Mark Millett, who co-founded Steel Dynamics in 1993. It might not make splashy headlines like tech and finance, but this steel manufacturer generated $18.8 billion last year, proving that innovation can lead to immense success in any space.
Is Elon Musk Actually the Founder of Tesla?
Elon Musk is arguably the most high-profile figure on the list, but his relationship with Tesla’s origins is less straightforward than the others on our list. Tesla was actually founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. Musk joined shortly after as an investor and took a more active role over time. It wasn’t until a legal settlement in 2009 that Musk was “officially” determined to be a co-founder, along with four others. Today, he serves as the CEO and public face of Tesla, a company that posted $96.77 billion in revenue in 2024.
Why Are They Still Here?
While circumstances vary and some CEO-Founders stick around long after what’s best for the company, research seems to support that many of them remain the right person for the job. A Harvard Business Review study found that companies led by their founders outperformed others in market valuation by 10% over the long term. Especially in the early days when the potential rewards are higher, founders tend to prioritize innovation, take bigger strategic bets, and maintain a stronger emotional commitment to the company’s mission.
Additionally, founder-CEOs often make faster decisions, have deeper customer intuition, and are more adaptable when navigating new markets. These traits help fuel long-term growth and can serve as a stabilizing force in times of disruption. That said, success depends on their ability to scale alongside the business. The most effective founders seem to grow their leadership style as the company matures, surrounding themselves with experienced teams while staying grounded in the original vision.
In many cases, large companies will also adopt dual-class stock structures, which help founders maintain some control even as ownership becomes more distributed.
Out of the 1,000 biggest companies in America, only 59 are still run by their founders. Amounting to less than 6 percent, it’s both inspiring and daunting how successful many of their companies have become.
Along with shaping industries and building legacies, they’re keeping their original visions alive in a world that often trades the leadership of innovative founders for business-savvy executives. Their stories serve as a reminder that leadership is about commitment and conviction as much as it is about keeping a business running.
At The Chartistry, we know that there’s a great story behind every dataset. Explore more trends in executive leadership, company growth, and market innovation in America’s largest companies on our Business Visualization page. Or, if you’re looking for more inspiring stories of success, check out our Finance Visualizations.
Founders of Major Corporations Still Serving as CEO
The list of America’s largest companies that are still run by the person who founded them is based on data from Fortune’s list of the 1,000 biggest companies in the United States. Just 59 of the 1,000 biggest U.S. companies are still run by the person who founded them. The founder must be the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, as of June 2025, to be included.
Rank | Company | Forbes 1000 Rank (as of July 2024) |
Revenue in Billions (as of July 2024) |
CEO Name | Year Founded | Title (as of June 2025) |
1 | Meta Platforms | 30 | $134.90 | Mark Zuckerberg | 2004 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
2 | Tesla | 40 | $96.77 | Elon Musk | 2003 (Musk was designated as one of five co-founders in 2009 via a settlement.) |
Co-Founder, CEO |
3 | Dell Technologies | 48 | $88.43 | Michael Dell | 1984 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
4 | NVIDIA | 65 | $60.92 | Jensen Huang | 1993 | Co-Founder, CEO, President |
5 | Capital One Financial | 91 | $49.48 | Richard Fairbank | 1987 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
6 | Salesforce | 123 | $34.86 | Marc Benioff | 1999 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
7 | Apollo Global Management | 136 | $32.64 | Marc Rowan | 1990 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
8 | Coupang | 168 | $24.38 | Bom Kim | 2010 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
9 | Block | 186 | $21.92 | Jack Dorsey | 2009 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
10 | Steel Dynamics | 221 | $18.80 | Mark Millett | 1993 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
11 | BlackRock | 231 | $17.86 | Larry Fink | 1988 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
12 | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals | 311 | $13.12 | Leonard Schleifer | 1988 | Co-Founder, CEO, President, Co-Chairman |
13 | Wayfair | 346 | $12.00 | Niraj Shah | 2002 | Co-Founder, CEO, Co-Chairman |
14 | Carvana | 377 | $10.77 | Ernest Garcia III | 2012 | Co-Founder, CEO, President, Chairman |
15 | Airbnb | 396 | $9.92 | Brian Chesky | 2008 | Co-Founder, CEO |
16 | Intercontinental Exchange | 397 | $9.90 | Jeffrey Sprecher | 2000 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
17 | Sanmina | 433 | $8.94 | Jure Sola | 1980 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
18 | DoorDash | 443 | $8.64 | Tony Xu | 2013 | Co-Founder, CEO |
19 | Prologis | 463 | $8.02 | Hamid Moghadam | 1983 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
20 | Blackstone | 464 | $8.02 | Stephen Schwarzman | 1985 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
21 | Skechers U.S.A. | 465 | $8.00 | Robert Greenberg | 1992 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
22 | Super Micro Computer | 498 | $7.12 | Charles Liang | 1993 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
23 | Insperity | 541 | $6.49 | Paul Sarvadi | 1986 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
24 | Under Armour | 577 | $5.90 | Kevin Plank | 1995 | Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
25 | SS&C Technologies Holdings | 600 | $5.50 | William Stone | 1986 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
26 | Fortinet | 622 | $5.31 | Ken Xie | 2000 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
27 | Urban Outfitters | 635 | $5.15 | Richard Hayne | 1970 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
28 | Ares Management | 644 | $4.99 | Michael Arougheti | 1997 | Co-Founder, CEO, Director |
29 | Nexstar Media Group | 648 | $4.93 | Perry Sook | 1996 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
30 | Compass | 654 | $4.89 | Robert Reffkin | 2012 | Co-Founder, CEO |
31 | EPAM Systems | 669 | $4.69 | Arkadiy Dobkin | 1993 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
32 | Antero Resources | 670 | $4.68 | Paul Rady | 2002 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
33 | Snap | 679 | $4.61 | Evan Spiegel | 2011 | Co-Founder, CEO, Director |
34 | Zoom Video Communications | 683 | $4.53 | Eric Yuan | 2011 | Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
35 | Rivian Automotive | 692 | $4.43 | RJ Scaringe | 2009 | Founder, CEO |
36 | PriceSmart | 697 | $4.41 | Robert Price | 1993 | Co-Founder, CEO (until Sept. ‘25), Chairman |
37 | eXp World Holdings | 708 | $4.28 | Glenn Sanford | 2008 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
38 | Toast | 766 | $3.87 | Aman Narang | 2012 | Co-Founder, CEO, Director |
39 | Akamai Technologies | 771 | $3.81 | Dr. Tom Leighton | 1998 | Co-Founder, CEO |
40 | ScanSource | 776 | $3.79 | Michael Baur | 1992 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
41 | Dream Finders Homes | 784 | $3.75 | Patrick Zalupski | 2008 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
42 | Century Communities | 794 | $3.69 | Robert Francescon | 2002 | Co-Founder, CEO, President, Director |
43 | Euronet Worldwide | 796 | $3.69 | Michael Brown | 1994 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
44 | DraftKings | 798 | $3.67 | Jason Robins | 2011 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
45 | Atlassian | 811 | $3.54 | Mike Cannon-Brookes | 2002 | Co-Founder, CEO |
46 | Roku | 820 | $3.49 | Anthony Wood | 2002 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
47 | Cheesecake Factory | 828 | $3.44 | David Overton | 1972 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
48 | Chefs’ Warehouse | 830 | $3.43 | Christopher Pappas | 1985 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman, President |
49 | AppLovin | 847 | $3.28 | Adam Foroughi | 2012 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
50 | PACS Group | 869 | $3.11 | Jason Murray | 2013 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
51 | Coinbase Global | 870 | $3.11 | Brian Armstrong | 2012 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
52 | CrowdStrike | 883 | $3.06 | George Kurtz | 2011 | Founder, CEO |
53 | Matador Resources | 930 | $2.81 | Joseph Wm. Foran | 2003 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
54 | Viasat | 932 | $2.80 | Mark Dankberg | 1986 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
55 | Roblox | 935 | $2.80 | David Baszucki | 2004 | Co-Founder, CEO |
56 | ProFrac Holding | 971 | $2.63 | Ladd Wilks | 2016 | Co-Founder, CEO |
57 | Playtika Holding | 982 | $2.57 | Robert Antokol | 2010 | Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman |
58 | Stagwell | 993 | $2.53 | Mark Penn | 2021 | Founder, CEO, Chairman |
59 | Dropbox | 997 | $2.50 | Drew Houston | 2007 | Co-Founder, CEO |
Sources:
Corporate Websites
Charts
Map Shows the Most Bilingual Cities in America
The United States is home to a diverse array of cultures, ethnicities, and languages. It attracts visitors and immigrants from all around the world, so it’s easy to find people who can speak another language in addition to English. Census Bureau statistics show that 21% of Americans are bilingual. The team at Preply took a deep dive into this data by determining which cities have the most and least bilingual residents.
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The team defined bilingual as people who report speaking both English and one additional language “very well,” which would mean functioning at a fluency level in two languages. They created two maps to show the results. According to the team’s data, these cities have the most bilingual people in America:
- El Paso, Texas
- Los Angeles, California
- San Jose, California
- San Antonio, Texas
- New York, New York
- Houston, Texas
- San Diego, California
- Phoenix, Arizona
- San Francisco, California
- Dallas, Texas
In El Paso, the majority of the population speaks Spanish, which has been the case since 1965. Seven out of ten residents speak a language other than English. El Paso is located very close to the Mexican border, resulting in a high presence of immigrants, visitors, and family ties with Mexico. The same is true in Los Angeles, where nearly half the population is of an ethnic group that speaks Spanish. Overall, the most common second language spoken in the U.S. is Spanish, although you’ll find a wide variety of languages across the country.
As for the least bilingual cities, the team found that these 10 cities take the top spots:
- Detroit, Michigan
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Columbus, Ohio
- Washington, D.C.
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Seattle, Washington
Detroit may have the fewest bilingual speakers due to its shrinking population. It’s difficult to have diversity of cultures and languages in a small population. As industries shift location, sometimes you see certain populations follow. Detroit is known for auto manufacturing, but that industry has shrunk considerably since the city’s heyday. These statistics suggest that economics can have an impact on bilingual populations.
After Spanish, common second languages include Asian languages like Mandarin or Korean. There are so many benefits to becoming bilingual. Beyond being useful in travel, it can help people in work and social situations. Approximately 43% of the world’s population is bilingual, with people from all over the world learning English online. If the team created a worldwide map of bilingual locations, they’d find that speaking two languages in daily life is common in Switzerland, where 42% of the population speaks two languages on a daily basis. In France, however, only 20% of the population speaks a language other than French. Typically, bilingual people can speak English and live in and around Paris.
Overall, the most widely spoken languages in the world are Chinese, English, and Spanish, making it beneficial for anyone to learn these languages. Bilingual people are known to be good listeners, and evidence suggests they’re more creative! It’s a valuable skill to employers, and it can improve your memory and attention span.
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