Rolex generates around $11 billion per year — yet it has no shareholders, reports no public earnings, and is owned by a charity.
After his wife passed away in 1944, founder Hans Wilsdorf transferred 100% of his shares to a private trust. He feared that after his death, investors could break apart the company for short-term profit.
He wrote strict bylaws stating the company can never be sold, can never go public, and must exist forever.
Today, the net profit goes directly to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation — not investors.