Apple once again sits at the top of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list. This marks the 19th year in a row that the company has taken the number one spot. The long streak shows how Apple continues to earn respect across the business world, even as competition in tech and other industries grows stronger.
Fortune and its partner Korn Ferry publish this annual ranking. They survey thousands of business leaders to see which companies they admire the most. This year, about 3,000 executives, directors, and analysts took part in the process. They started with a list of around 1,500 companies, narrowed it to 685, and then rated firms in their own industries across nine different criteria.
Why Apple Stayed on Top
Even with rising concerns about artificial intelligence and rapid changes in the market, Apple still scored high in key areas. Fortune said respondents gave Apple top marks for its “smart management of talent, capital, and supply chains,” along with its approach to innovation. These scores helped Apple stay ahead of every other company on the list.
Apple also led the Computer industry category. It has now held that number one spot for 16 of the last 17 years. That result shows that its influence runs deep inside its own sector, not just across the wider business world.
How Other Companies Ranked
Strong rivals followed Apple on the list. Microsoft placed second, Amazon took third, and Nvidia landed in fourth as a new entry near the top. Alphabet reached eighth place, while other major names like JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway, Costco Wholesale, Walmart, and American Express also made the top ten.
The full top ten list reads as follows:
- Apple
- Microsoft
- Amazon
- NVIDIA
- JPMorgan Chase
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Costco Wholesale
- Alphabet
- Walmart
- American Express
At the same time, several well-known companies dropped out of the top 50 this year. These include Target, PepsiCo, Novo Nordisk, and Adobe.
How the Rankings Work
The survey asks leaders to judge companies inside their own industries first. For the main All-Star list, every executive then picks the ten companies they admire most, no matter the industry. This mix of focused and broad voting shapes the final rankings.
Apple’s long run at the top shows how much trust and respect it still commands. While new players rise and others fall, Apple keeps its place as the company that many business leaders admire the most.
