Why Amazon Has No Profits (And Why It Works)

Amazon has a tendency to polarize people. On one hand, there is the ruthless, relentless, ferociously efficient company that's building the Sears Roebuck of the 21st Century. But on the other, there is the fact that almost 20 years after it was launched, it has yet to report a meaningful profit. This chart captures the contradiction pretty well - massive revenue growth, no profits, or so it would seem. But actually, neither of these lines gives you a good sense of what's really going on.

Amazon discloses revenue in three segments - Media, Electronics