Alyson Shontell

Editor-in-Chief

The business world looked a lot different then. America was in the middle of a manufacturing boom, so Fortune’s editors focused the inaugural list on “industrials”—like oil producers, steelmakers, car companies, and meatpackers.

Today, manufacturing is a much smaller share of the American economy. Retailers, banks, tech, and health care companies now dominate. And the Fortune 500 has been reaching beyond industrials since 1995, making it an authoritative scorecard for the whole business world.

Our 70th edition of the Fortune 500 dropped earlier this week, and a few trends stand out: Profits rose faster than revenues as inflation, energy prices, and high wages cooled. Diversity in the corner office has stalled with the number of women and black CEOs each remaining the same as last year. And Walmart remains a tough beat for Amazon as it was once again the highest revenue-generating company for the 12th straight year.

The 2024 Fortune 500: The biggest companies in America

MAGAZINE

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon keeps fending off Amazon for the top spot on the Fortune 500. Can he and the mega-retailer continue their streak?

Under McMillon, Walmart has gone from also-ran to juggernaut in e-commerce and wooed more upper-income shoppers.

A crisis is hitting your local drugstore. Why the slow demise of a 130-year-old family-owned pharmacy chain spells disaster for consumers

The 130-year-old Bartell’s is closing many of its locations. It’s the latest symptom of a national health care crisis that hurts all of us.

From Tide Pods to Coach bags, how Fortune 500 companies use museums of their hits and misses to drive success

How Fortune 500 companies like Procter and Gamble and Coach use their history for business strategy.

The best science-backed strategies for a strong mind as you age

The lifelong learner is onto something.

PERSONAL FINANCE

$80 million mansions, oceanfront views, and secret tunnels to the beach: Inside one of America’s most expensive zip codes

One of America’s priciest zip codes is also one of its least known.

TECH

Layoffs, abusive calls, and AI fears: Inside the front lines of Amazon’s ‘customer obsession’ promise

Amazon customer service employees say a vicious cocktail of cost-cutting, shopper vitriol, and AI panic has turned their lives upside down.

Faceswap deepfakes are a growing problem online that’s costing creators millions—but social media services are doing little to stop it

People are stealing content from creators, using AI to make small changes, and profiting on social media and porn sites.

CRYPTO

He taught at MIT, worked at Morgan Stanley, and convinced Bill Ackman and Galaxy to back his $200 million crypto fund by his early 30s. His future is now in jeopardy

How Shima Capital’s fast-and-loose approach to compliance alienated its backers and could run afoul of the SEC.

RETAIL

Mark Zuckerberg is quietly sitting on a shopping empire with 4 times the customers of Amazon

Facebook Marketplace boasts up to 1.2 billion monthly users, with Gen Z and millennials flocking to the site in search of hidden gems.

Can customers be too loyal? Nordstrom’s famous rewards program is so popular, shoppers’ racked-up points are denting its profits

Marketing experts say the retailer shouldn’t be worried about the loss—but it’s in part because loyalty programs have lost their power.

Workday CEO on making the Fortune 500 for the first time

Leadership Next: What USAA learned from the pandemic

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