Company: Cargill

A Chinese trade delegation signed agreements with U.S. grain companies on Wednesday to buy 8.62 million metric tons of soybeans from the United States and will ink more deals on Thursday for a record-setting purchase topping 12 million metric tons.

Going public is commonly thought of as the endgame for most companies. But many of the world’s biggest and most influential businesses have gone through great lengths and endured great criticism to go the opposite rout – to stay private.