Fortune 500 is a list of 500 of the largest companies in the USA. The list is created by Fortune magazine and includes both public and private companies. A company featured on this list is commonly known as a Fortune 500 company.
The first list was published in 1955 and the concept was initially created by Edgar P Smith, an editor at Fortune. Globally, Fortune 500 companies employ around 29 million people and generate over $16 trillion in revenue.
Companies are ranked based on their annual revenue for the past year. As well as providing information about revenue, Fortune 500 also includes information about market share, assets and earnings per share.
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Examples of Fortune 500 companies
- Walmart
- Morgan Stanley
- Microsoft
- Amazon
- Berkshire Hathaway
You can read the full list of Fortune 500 companies here.
Working for a Fortune 500 company
The companies listed in Fortune 500 are some of the largest companies in the world so are very well known. As Fortune 500 companies will have offices across the globe there will be lots of opportunities for world travel. Also, there are likely to be many opportunities for skills development, career progression and employee rewards.
Plus, having a Fortune 500 company listed on your CV as a previous employer will certainly be of interest to future employers.
Other benefits of working for a Fortune 500 company:
- Opportunity to build a large network (after all you’ll get to work with lots of people)
- Chance to work on global projects
- Strong benefits package
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