Amazon Executive Chair Jeff Bezos featured on the cover of Fortune’s August/September 2026 issue. In print and on sale 18 August 2026.
- Amazon tops the list, ending Walmart’s 12-year reign at No. 1
- United States companies hit 18-year high, leading the world with 141 firms
- Women CEOs reaches record 34 on Fortune Global 500, marking 6.8% representation. Last year it was 33.
- The “Magnificent Seven” generate US$2.3 trillion in revenue and US$608 billion in profits in 2025 (“Magnificent Seven” are Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, NVIDIA, Tesla and Alphabet, which is the parent holding company of Google)
Today, Fortune released the 2026 Fortune Global 500™, which is a list of the world’s largest corporations ranked by revenue for the 2025 fiscal year. Companies are ranked by total revenues for their respective fiscal years ended on or before 31 March 2026. Figures are as reported, and comparisons are made with the prior year’s figures as originally reported for that year. Fortune does not restate the prior year’s figures for changes in accounting.
In her foreword to the August/September 2026 issue, Alyson Shontell, Fortune’s Editor in Chief and Chief Content Officer states,
“Across global business, we see again and again that the leaders who are winning are those who embrace change…Amazon has topped the Fortune Global 500, knocking Walmart off its pedestal. The company has continually reinvented itself across new businesses and bold bets—including a $200 billion capital commitment, largely to building its capacity for AI and cloud computing, in this year alone.”
Taking the Number 1 Spot
Amazon is No. 1 this year, ending Walmart’s 12-year run in the top spot. Amazon eclipsed the US$700 billion mark with a 12% jump in revenue in 2025 and claimed the title of “biggest company in the world by revenue.”
This year’s Fortune Global 500 saw record numbers in aggregate revenue and profits (unadjusted for inflation). In total, the Fortune Global 500 companies represent two-thirds of the World’s GDP with
- US$43.1 trillion (up 3%) in revenues,
- US$3.4 trillion (up 14%) in profits, and
- employing 70.2 million people worldwide.
The top 50 companies alone account for 33% of total revenue and 39% of total profits, while the top 100 account for 47% and 53% respectively.
The 2026 Fortune Global 500 Top 10 list is:
- Amazon.com (U.S.)
- Walmart (U.S.)
- State Grid (China)
- UnitedHealth Group (U.S.)
- Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia)
- Apple (U.S.)
- McKesson (U.S.)
- Alphabet (U.S.)
- CVS Health (U.S.)
- China National Petroleum (China)
Global Powerhouse Countries
The U.S. presence on the Fortune Global 500 reached its highest level since 2008, with 141 companies (up three from last year), the most of any country. American companies generated an increased revenue of 6% up from last year.
Greater China—comprised of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan—ranked second with 122 companies, down eight from last year and marking its lowest count since 2018.
Global City Spread
The Fortune Global 500 companies are based in 242 cities and 36 countries/territories around the world. The top five cities — Beijing, Tokyo, New York, London, and Paris — serve as home base to almost one-quarter of the Fortune Global 500 companies.
Paris jumped back into the top five for the first time since 2021. Czech Republic’s EP Group marks the country’s first-ever representative on the Fortune Global 500, and there are 14 countries and territories with only one company on the list, including Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, among others.
Female CEOs – one more than 2025
The number of women CEOs at Fortune Global 500 companies reached a record high of 34 (6.8%), up one from the previous year. America leads with 16 companies headed by women CEOs, followed by France with six, China with three, and Brazil, Germany and the UK with two each. The UK female CEOs are Meg O’Neill – BP and Margherita Della Valle – Vodafone Group
Tech Companies on the rise
Technology is the standout growth sector: 38 companies (up four from last year), revenues rising more than 20%, and profits climbing 36% to an approximate estimate of US$835 billion. Alphabet has taken over as the most profitable company in the world, declaring US$132 billion profit, making it the second-highest profit figure ever recorded for a Fortune Global 500 company.
Four Fortune Global 500 companies, all based in the U.S. (Alphabet, Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft), each netted at least US$100 billion in profits in 2025, reflecting the strength of American tech.
However, the financial sector continues to be the single biggest sector with 123 companies on the list, followed by energy (77), technology (38), motor vehicles and parts (35), and healthcare (31). They account for 61% of the companies on the list and 66% of total revenue generated.
24 Newcomers
There were 24 newcomers to this year’s Fortune Global 500, including 13 companies that made their debut, and 11 companies returning to the list after at least a one-year hiatus from the list. First-time entrants include EP Group (No. 179), Galaxy Digital (No. 244), WT Microelectronics (No. 431), Advanced Micro Devices (No. 478), and Coupang (No. 479).
The 2026 Fortune 500 list can be found here, and the magazine includes exclusive interviews and insights.
Related Post: Fortune 500 Female CEOs: What is in a name? (note: This article references Fortune 500 largest U.S. Companies list, and not the Global rankings)
