Recently, I was reminded to reconsider the structure of the American economy. It’s really fascinating to understand how the world’s zaibatsu are formed and how they dominate the modern economy—what their system is really like.

In the case of the United States, after World War II, 10 major financial groups emerged, and they have effectively taken control of the national economy ever since. For example, the Rockefeller Financial Group was built on an oil monopoly, laid out a financial network centered around Chase Manhattan Bank, and expanded its influence across various industries. You can probably imagine the scale of it, controlling half of the 16 major oil companies.

The Morgan Financial Group is also a long-established powerhouse, established in the late 19th century to the early 20th century, dominating the financial industry with JP Morgan at its core. It has extended its reach into electronic computers, electrical equipment, and the weapons industry. Companies like IBM and General Electric are also among its subsidiaries.

Meanwhile, the Texas Financial Group is a regionally rooted type that specializes in the oil and weapons industries. It also incorporates cutting-edge technology companies like Texas Instruments. Centered on Bank of America, the California Financial Group brings defense-related companies such as Lockheed Aircraft and Northrop under its control.

When you look at the world’s zaibatsu system like this, you can see that it isn’t just a collection of banks and companies; it’s a complex in which finance and industry are deeply integrated. The Mellon Financial Group controls Alcoa, Gulf Oil, and Armco Steel, and the DuPont Financial Group has kept the economy in hand through chemicals and GM.

There are also regional zaibatsu with strong presence, such as in Chicago, Boston, and Cleveland. From retail giants like Sears Roebuck and United Department Store, to agricultural machinery, the steel industry, and the rubber industry—this is the way regional zaibatsu share up industries.

Understanding this network, I think, is the key to figuring out why the modern world economy has taken on its current form, and how the world’s zaibatsu maintain their influence. The fusion of financial centers and industrial capital—that is probably the essence of the world’s zaibatsu.