This was the world's most profitable company in 2018

Saudi Arabia's national oil company was the most profitable company on the planet in 2018, according to a new report.

Referring to data from Fitch Ratings, Bloomberg News reported on Saudi Arabian Oil Co. – known as Aramco – generated a lot of $ 224 billion last year, before interest, taxes and depreciation.

Apple Inc.

AAPL, + 0.65%

was a distant second, with $ 82 billion, followed by South Korea's Samsung Electronics

005930, + 1.23%

Royal Dutch Shell

RDS.A, -0.08%

Alphabet Inc.

GOOGL, + 0.39%

GOOG, + 0.41%

and Exxon Mobil Corp.

It was not expected a prerequisite for public offers from Aramco last year, but Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in October that the oil giant would be public in 2021, with an expected valuation of around $ 2 trillion.

The Fitch report was a rare glimpse into Aramco's secret finances, coming in front of a $ 10 billion bond offering for the company to come as soon as this week, Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Fitch rated Armaco A + for its first debt issue.