The role of the private sector in globalization is illustrated by the fact that, in 1996, foreign exchange trading by the big investors amounted to some US$350 million million (Martens and Paul 1998), more than ten times the world's GDP of about US$30 million million (World Bank 1998). Total revenue of the top 500 companies was about US$11 million million, 50 per cent each for industry and services (Fortune 1998). Private foreign investment, concentrated in a limited number of developing countries, was about US$250 000 million, compared to overseas development assistance (ODA) of less than US$50 000 million.