And the company, Google was nothing that money and influence-Netherlands East India Company-IT news

If you want to ask now what company in the world's most influential, many people will answer: Google. As the world's largest search engine, Google is as basic services like water, electricity companies, a lot of people's work and life are inseparable from it. Moreover, Google's recent market value of about $ 500 billion, is one of the most valuable company in the world.

But with a historical perspective, on hundreds of years ago there was a company, regardless of size or influence, is much than Google--that is the Netherlands East India Company. This company, founded in 1602 are usually considered to be the first international company, is the world's first publicly listed companies.

? Netherlands East India Company in Amsterdam Club banner

Netherlands East India Company was a shipping company, started with the spice trade, participated in 1637 "Tulip Mania" (World's first bubble). After the bubble is still very well supported by trade, the company ceased operations until 1800.

In today's currency, Netherlands East India Company "Tulip Mania" with a market value of $ 7.4 trillion, equivalent to about 25 Google. From the market point of view, it can completely crush Google now.

From 1602 until 1796, Netherlands East India Company opened 4,785 ships from Europe to Asia, delivering nearly 1 million Europeans to Asia; the rest of Europe together, from 1500-1795, send fewer than 900,000 people to Asia. Its closest competitor is the United Kingdom the East India Company, it sent the number of ships was Netherlands East India Company by more than half, of cargo is transported Netherlands East India Company one-fifth.

To contrast, Netherlands East India Company's importance to the European economy as a whole, are also much higher than Google United States GDP proportion.

? Netherlands East India Company's headquarters building in Amsterdam (now known as the University of Amsterdam school)

But the Netherlands not the influence of the East India Company, it almost the same as a national power, can print their own currency, with its own army, war and even set up colonies. At the time of its existence, essentially the entire Indonesia were its colonies, ruled Taiwan for some time (until defeated by Zheng Chenggong).

In terms of absolute power, Netherlands East India Company could crush Google. Now any commercial company, do not have access to as Netherlands East India company that powers.

But then again, Google's clout now that it has infiltrated our lives, we are gradually under the influence of Google like search, Android, browser, and so on. Hundreds of years ago, the connection to the world is not so close, Netherlands East India Company directly affects people deeply dominated, but others can not be directly affected.

There is 200 years of Netherlands East Indies Company, Google is still very young. If Google could pace over the past more than 10 years, in a few decades, it is entirely possible to issue its own virtual currency, created a robot forces, power on people's life and death in the virtual world. Colonies may be difficult, but SpaceX doing experiments with a planet should not be a problem.

和这家公司比，Google的那点钱和影响力根本不值一提 - 荷兰东印度公司 - IT资讯

如果要问现在哪家公司在全球最有影响力，很多人会回答：Google。作为全球最大的搜索引擎，Google就像是水、电一样的基础服务公司，很多人的工作和生活都离不开它。而且，Google近期市值在5000亿美元左右，也是世界上市值最高的公司之一。

但是如果用历史的眼光看，在几百年前有一家公司，无论从规模还是影响力上看，都比Google要大很多很多——那就是荷兰东印度公司。这家成立于1602年的公司通常被认为是第一家跨国公司，也是全球第一家上市公司。

▲荷兰东印度公司阿姆斯特丹会所旗帜

荷兰东印度公司是一家航运贸易公司，以香料贸易起家，参与了1637年的“郁金香狂热”（世界上最早的经济泡沫）。还好泡沫过后它仍然有很不错的贸易业务做支撑，公司直到1800年才停止运营。

以现在的货币计算，荷兰东印度公司在“郁金香狂热”时的市值为74000亿美元，相当于25个Google。单从市值上来说，它可以完全碾压现在的Google。

从1602年到1796年，荷兰东印度公司从欧洲开了4785条船到亚洲，运送了近100万欧洲人到亚洲；欧洲其余国家合在一起，从1500到1795年，才送了不到90万人到亚洲。其最接近的竞争对手是英国东印度公司，它派的船的数量是荷兰东印度公司的一半多，运送的货物是荷兰东印度公司的五分之一。

要对比来看的话，荷兰东印度公司对当时整个欧洲经济的重要程度，也远远高于Google占美国GDP的比重。

▲荷兰东印度公司大楼在阿姆斯特丹的总部（现为阿姆斯特丹大学校舍）

不过荷兰东印度公司的影响力不至于此，它几乎有和一个国家一样的权力，可以印制自己的货币、拥有自己的军队、发起战争甚至建立殖民地。在它存在的时间里，基本上整个印度尼西亚都是它的殖民地，也统治过台湾一段时间（直到被郑成功打败）。

以绝对的权力来说，荷兰东印度公司也完全可以碾压Google。现在任何一家商业公司，都无法获得像荷兰东印度公司当时那样的权力。

不过话说回来，Google现在拥有的影响力在于它已经渗入到我们的生活，我们都潜移默化的在受到Google的影响，比如搜索、Android、浏览器等等。而几百年前，世界的连接还没有那么紧密，受荷兰东印度公司直接影响的人会深深的被控制，但其他人并不能很直接的被影响到。

相比存在了200年的荷兰东印度公司来说，Google还很年轻。如果Google能以过去十多年的节奏发展，再过几十年，它完全有可能发行自己的虚拟货币、造出一支机器人部队、在虚拟世界里对人们有生杀大权。殖民地可能很难，但是联合SpaceX一起弄个星球做做实验应该不成问题。