- United States: Foreign companies invested $320.9 billion in the United States in 2000, a record amount up 17% compared to the 275 billion invested the previous year. Most of this sum, US$316.5 billion, was used to acquire American firms. The remaining 4.4 billion were for launching new companies in the United States or extending existing firms. Over 75% of investment was of European origin, with the United Kingdom remaining the largest foreign investor with over one third of total...