We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGEEK

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Finance

What is the Fortune 500?

By Elva K.
Updated Feb 26, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

The Fortune 500 list, compiled since 1955 via Fortune magazine, includes the 500 highest ranking United States public corporations. Rankings of these companies tend to be based on revenue figures associated with each company's prior fiscal year after adjustments are made to exclude impact of the excise taxes that the companies collect. This list includes both publicly held and privately held companies where the revenues are made publicly available. The names of companies that are on this list tend to reflect extreme wealth and power.

Typically the location, phone numbers, and the chief executive officers' names are listed. Also, these companies in the Fortune 500 list are ranked using 12 separate indices. Among these indices are revenues, assets, profit, stockholder equity, profit as percentage of revenue, and market value. Also included in the indices are stockholder equity, 10-year earning per share growth, total returns to investors during the year, and the 10-year annual total return to investors. The companies are additionally ranked by their performance within states and within 61 separate industry groups.

If there are no financial reports for a company for one quarter year or more, the company is not eligible for consideration to be included in the Fortune 500. Also, businesses that are privately held that fail to submit a financial statement to the United States government are not eligible for consideration. Foreign corporations are not included either.

Originally, the Fortune 500 was restricted to companies whose revenues were made from mining, manufacturing, or energy explorations. In the past, there were separate Fortune 50 lists that included the 50 largest banks, utilities, life insurance businesses, retailers, and transportation companies. Now, all companies have been combined to form one list.

Looking at the Fortune 500 listing enables one to gain a sense of the United States' commercial progress as it unfolds. It enables one to gain a better understanding of where money has been in the past and how money has flowed into new industries through the years. The corporations that comprise the Fortune 500 have a lot of power and they influence government policy regularly. In fact, the Fortune 500 companies are often considered the most successful companies.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.