Some of America’s biggest companies didn’t become successful by sticking to their original business. Instead, they survived by reinventing themselves when the world changed.
1. Nintendo
Long before it became a gaming giant, Nintendo sold handmade playing cards in Japan beginning in 1889.
Over the decades, the company experimented with everything from toys to taxis before finding worldwide success through video game consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System and later the Switch.
2. Netflix
When Netflix launched in 1997, it mailed DVDs directly to customers.
As internet speeds improved, the company shifted to streaming video, eventually becoming one of the world’s largest entertainment producers with its own movies and television series.
3. IBM
Founded in 1911, IBM originally manufactured business machines such as tabulators and time clocks.
Over time, it evolved into a global technology company focused on software, consulting, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
4. Tiffany & Co.
Before becoming famous for jewelry, Tiffany & Co. opened in New York City in 1837 selling stationery and luxury gift items.
Jewelry gradually became its signature business, transforming the company into one of the world’s best-known luxury brands.
5. Wrigley
William Wrigley Jr. originally gave away chewing gum as a promotional bonus for customers buying baking powder.
The gum proved more popular than the baking powder itself, leading Wrigley to focus entirely on chewing gum.
6. DuPont
DuPont began in 1802 as a gunpowder manufacturer supplying explosives.
Over the next two centuries, it expanded into chemicals and materials, helping develop products such as nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, and countless industrial innovations used around the world.
