1.   After investing billions to create bioengineered corn, soybeans and other crops, and some to buy large seed companies, Monsanto is prospering.

2.   Companies were investing billions more into the development of new drugs.

3.   For companies that are investing billions of dollars to expand, it means a high-stakes, nerve-wracking waiting game.

4.   Intel and Microsoft are quietly broadening their reach into a wide range of related technologies by investing billions of dollars in hundreds of startup companies.

5.   On top of all that, Mannesmann is investing billions in hard-wired networks in Germany and across Europe.

6.   Today, millions of companies are investing billions of dollars in Internet-related ventures.