In 2021, New York had a total of ** Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state. California, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio rounded out the top five of states with the most Fortune 500 companies. What is the Fortune 500? The Fortune 500 is an annual list published by Fortune magazine that shows the largest corporations in the United States by total revenue within the fiscal year. The list includes both publicly and privately held companies. Being on the Fortune 500 list is one of the most prestigious marks a company can achieve. Diversity in the Fortune 500 Increasing diversity has become a hot topic within the business world in recent years and it shows on the boards of Fortune 500 companies. Fortune 500 companies are appointing more diverse individuals to board of director positions and the share of women, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans in these positions have all more than doubled since 2009.

From 2000 to 2019, the United States had more Fortune 500 companies than any other country. In 2020, the U.S. was surpassed by China, where *** companies were reported, compared to *** U.S. companies. This is an impressive increase, as there were only ** Fortune 500 companies in China in 2000. In 2023, the number of top world companies ranked by revenue grew by *** in China, while in the U.S. there were ** more companies than in 2022.

In 2020, the average lifespan of a company on Standard and Poor's 500 Index was just over ** years, compared with ** years in 1965. There is a clear long-term trend of declining corporate longevity with regards to companies on the S&P 500 Index, with this expected to fall even further throughout the 2020s.

In 2021, Apple was the largest publicly traded company in California based on revenue. That year, they had a revenue of ****** billion U.S. dollars. Alphabet, Chevron, Wells Fargo and Meta rounded out the top five publicly traded companies in California. Apple Apple is a multinational company headquartered in California. It was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Known for their popular iPhones and Mac computers, they have further expanded into other products such as iPods, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Air Pods, and Apple Pay. It is now one of the world’s largest and most valuable companies. Their worldwide revenue has increased dramatically since 2004, with the largest share of their sales since 2012 coming from the Americas. Despite being one of the most successful technology companies, it has faced a lot of criticism from consumers. Some of the criticisms include tax avoidance, sweatshop use, and environmental destruction. Fortune 500 Companies In 2021, New York and California had the highest number of Fortune 500 companies, followed by Texas, Illinois, and Ohio. For New York, this can be attributed to its being the financial and cultural hub of the country. Fortune 500 Companies are ranked by Fortune magazine, which ranks the the top 500 companies in the United States based on revenue. Companies on this list are both publicly and privately held. The companies that get listed have changed over the years, for a variety of reasons such as company acquisitions, bankruptcies, and changes in the economy.

With a market capitalization of 3.12 trillion U.S. dollars as of May 2024, Microsoft was the world’s largest company that year. Rounding out the top five were some of the world’s most recognizable brands: Apple, NVIDIA, Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Amazon. Saudi Aramco led the ranking of the world's most profitable companies in 2023, with a pre-tax income of nearly 250 billion U.S. dollars. How are market value and market capitalization determined? Market value and market capitalization are two terms frequently used – and confused - when discussing the profitability and viability of companies. Strictly speaking, market capitalization (or market cap) is the worth of a company based on the total value of all their shares; an important metric when determining the comparative value of companies for trading opportunities. Accordingly, many stock exchanges such as the New York or London Stock Exchange release market capitalization data on their listed companies. On the other hand, market value technically refers to what a company is worth in a much broader context. It is determined by multiple factors, including profitability, corporate debt, and the market environment as a whole. In this sense it aims to estimate the overall value of a company, with share price only being one element. Market value is therefore useful for determining whether a company’s shares are over- or undervalued, and in arriving at a price if the company is to be sold. Such valuations are generally made on a case-by-case basis though, and not regularly reported. For this reason, market capitalization is often reported as market value. What are the top companies in the world? The answer to this question depends on the metric used. Although the largest company by market capitalization, Microsoft's global revenue did not manage to crack the top 20 companies. Rather, American multinational retailer Walmart was ranked as the largest company in the world by revenue. Walmart also had the highest number of employees in the world.

During a 2025 survey among chief marketing officers (CMOs) from for-profit companies in the United States, respondents reported that, on average, *** percent of their employers' revenues were allocated to marketing activities. In September of the previous year, the average share stood at *** percent.

Despite comprising of a smaller share of the U.S. population than African Americans or Hispanics, the most represented non-white U.S. CEOs were of an Asian background. They made up 55 percent of CEO positions at Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies in 2024. By comparison, 11 percent of CEOs at the time were African American. The rise of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) Investments in ESG have risen dramatically over last few years. In November 2023 there were approximately 480 billion U.S. dollars in ESG ETF assets worldwide, compared to 16 billion U.S. dollars in 2015. ESG measures were put in place to encourage companies to act responsibly, with the leading reason for ESG investing stated to be brand and reputation according to managers and asset owners. Gender diversity With the general acceptance of ESG in larger companies, there has still been a significant employment gap of women working in senior positions. For example, the share of women working as a partner or principal at EY, one of the largest accounting firms in the world, was just only 28 percent in 2023.

Microsoft 365 is used by over * million companies worldwide, with over *** million customers in the United States alone using the office suite software. Office 365 is the brand name previously used by Microsoft for a group of software applications providing productivity related services to its subscribers. Office 365 applications include Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. The consumer and small business plans of Office 365 were renamed as Microsoft 365 on 21 April, 2020. Global office suite market share  An office suite is a collection of software applications (word processing, spreadsheets, database etc.) designed to be used for tasks within an organization. Worldwide market share of office suite technologies is split between Google’s G Suite and Microsoft’s Office 365, with G Suite controlling around ** percent of the global market and Office 365 holding around ** percent. This trend is similar across most worldwide regions.

According to the Fortune China 500 ranking in 2024, which was based on company financials in 2023, JD.com, Alibaba Group, and Tencent kept their positions as the highest-earning internet enterprise based in China. With an annual revenue of over 153 billion U.S. dollars, JD.com ranked 13 among all Chinese companies. Its close rival Alibaba Group reported about 131 billion U.S. dollars in revenue. Tencent followed with 86 million U.S. dollars. Due to censorship regulations, global internet leaders are blocked in China. JD.com: robust logistics infrastructure JD.com has a highly efficient and self-owned logistics network, which ensures rapid delivery and product authenticity. Quality and counterfeit risks are reduced by its direct sales model, which gives it greater control over quality. Using AI, big data, and an omnichannel strategy, the company has consistently improved the customer experience and optimized supply chains. Strategic partnerships with other well-established firms like Tencent, Walmart, and luxury brands, along with its fintech arm JD Digits, strengthen its ecosystem. JD.com is also recognized for outstanding customer service and sustainability initiatives, creating a reputable and innovative brand in China’s competitive e-commerce landscape. Alibaba: the architect of the shopping spree On November 11, 2009, Alibaba launched its first Singles' Day shopping event, offering big discounts on countless products on its platforms. Since then, the shopping festival has turned into a multibillion-dollar, annual celebration. Although e-commerce remains the backbone of the conglomerate, it has diversified its business into cloud computing and digital entertainment, such as acquiring the Chinese popular video-sharing site Youku Tudou. Tencent: the fortress with diversities Within China, Tencent’s products have experienced immense popularity with the likes of instant messengers WeChat and QQ, social networking service Qzone, and mobile game Honor of Kings. In comparison with its social network counterparts, Tencent adopts a different business approach — increasing customer reach before app monetization. Instead of depending on advertising income, the enterprise focused more on value-added services, such as smartphone and PC-based gaming, digital content, and membership subscriptions. Online advertising accounted for less than a fifth of Tencent’s annual revenue.

As of April 10, 2025, tech giants Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet (Google), and Amazon dominated the S&P 500 index and were among only eight companies with a market capitalization exceeding *** ******** U.S. dollars in the U.S.

According to an annual survey among chief marketing officers (CMOs) in North America and Northern and Western Europe, *** percent of their employers' revenues were allocated to marketing in 2024, down from *** percent a year earlier. In 2016, that share peaked at over ** percent. Diversity among CMOs in the United States… A study fielded in the U.S. revealed that women accounted for **** of Fortune 500 companies' CMOs in 2023. Two years before, the share stood at ** percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of people belonging to historically underrepresented racial or ethnic groups working as CMOs at the same group of organizations reached ** percent in 2023, down from ** percent a year earlier. … and in the United Kingdom A 2024 survey showed that, on average, the share of women among marketing directors or CMOs in the UK surpassed ** percent. Despite that female majority, several British companies did not offer a marketing leadership position to begin with. According to the same study, less than ********** of UK companies had a CMO or marketing director.

The volume of air tickets purchased by Amazon in the United States amounted to *** million U.S. dollars in 2023, which positioned this company as the leading corporate travel spender in the North American country. Deloitte followed in the ranking that year.