14. Chevron
Fortune 500 rank: 3
2009 profit: $10.5 billion
After posting record profits the past few years, Chevron returned to earth in 2009. Earnings dropped by half as demand for gasoline and diesel plummeted in the recession. In the U.S., Chevron lost $273 million in its downstream business in the fourth quarter. For some perspective, that equates to its refineries and fuel stations losing $278,000 every hour.
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