• List of 500 of the largest companies
in the USA compiled by FORTUNE
MAGAZINE every year.
• Companies are ranked by their
ANNUAL REVENUES for their
respective fiscal years.
• This list includes both public and
private companies.
• Widely considered to be a mark of
PRESTIGE.
• The Fortune 500 is more commonly
used than its subset Fortune 100 or
superset Fortune 1000.
RHEA MISHRA (MBA-BA)
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• Founded in 1929 by Henry Robinson Luce,
Fortune Magazine is an American publication
that originally catered to the upper class.
Over the years, it saw contributions from the
world’s great writers, editors, illustrators,
and photographs.
• Today,
Fortune
Magazine
is
an
internationally renowned business media
brand with a multinational monthly
magazine, a website, and a host of
conference series featuring the world’s most
influential individuals.
• The idea for the list came from Edgar P.
Smith.
▪ Originally called the Fortune Industrial 500, later shortened to Fortune 500 contained only
companies that were in the MANUFACTURING, MINING, and ENERGY SECTORS.
▪ The Fortune 500 underwent its biggest change in 1995 by including service companies for the
first time.
RHEA MISHRA (MBA-BA)
• The Fortune 500 survey includes companies that are INCORPORATED and OPERATED in
the US.
• This includes both publicly traded and privately held companies.
• Private companies that don't file financial statements with government agencies, foreign
corporations are excluded, as are American companies consolidated by other companies
and those that neglect to report full financial statements for at least three quarters of the
current fiscal year.
• More than 1,800 American companies have been featured on the list over the course of its
history. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A), shifts in production output,
and bankruptcies have taken companies off of the list.
• The impact of a recession can also take out multiple companies from individual sectors.
The Fortune 500 list can often be a telling sign of how strong the economy is or if there has
been an economic recovery after poor performing years comparable financial statements.
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Additional Types of Lists
Published by Fortune Magazine
➢ 40 Under 40: A list of influential young leaders.
➢ 100 Best Companies To Work For: A list of U.S. companies that are deemed to be
the best (in terms of happiness and perks) for employees to work at.
➢ Global 500: A list of companies that generated the highest revenues worldwide.
➢ Most Powerful Women: A list of female individuals who are the most powerful .
➢ World’s 50 Great Leaders: A list of individuals who are transforming business,
government, philanthropy, etc.
➢ World’s Most Admired Companies: A list of companies that are the most
admired (through data gathered from over 3,750 executives, analysts, directors,
and experts).
FORTUNE 500
FORTUNE GLOBAL 500
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•The Fortune India 500 is a ranking of the top 500
corporations in India compiled on the basis of latest
sales and gross revenue figures.
•Fortune India is Fortune's sixth international edition
following local editions for China, Turkey, Korea,
Indonesia as well as a special edition for Greece.
•Fortune India is published monthly in English,
through a licence agreement between Time Inc., the
publisher of Fortune (US) and Kolkata-based ABP
Group, one of India's largest media companies.
•The Fortune India 500 list ranks publicly traded
companies by their annual audited total income for
the financial year ending on or before 30 June. The
list has been published in its current form since
2010, and also includes financial corporations and
service providers, leading by revenue.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
• The Fortune 500 is an annual list of 500 of the largest US companies ranked by total
revenues for their respective fiscal years.
• The list is compiled and published by Fortune magazine.
• Being on the Fortune 500 is considered to be prestigious—firms on the list are
considered to be of high quality.
• The Fortune 500 has put out a list of top companies since the year 1955.
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