# Fortune 100 Definition, Requirements, and Top Companies

![Fortune 100](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/Uj8vRMZfoSUM5wa6Lc9t2Bd46mU=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Term-Definitions_100-Fortune-Companie-Final-b036cc705d18422f86d5f146c6cb2617.jpg)

*— Investopedia / Crea Taylor*

> **Definition**
>
> The Fortune 100 is a ranking of the top 100 companies in the United States based on annual revenue published by Fortune magazine.

## What Is the Fortune 100?

The Fortune 100 are the top 100 companies in the United States on the [Fortune 500,](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fortune500.asp) a list of the 500 largest U.S. public and privately held companies that is published annually by _Fortune_ magazine.

_Fortune_ creates the list by ranking public and private companies that report annual revenue figures to a government agency. The Fortune 100 ranking is based on total revenues for each company's corresponding [fiscal year](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fiscalyear.asp).

### Key Takeaways

*   The Fortune 100 consists of the top companies in the more significant annual Fortune 500 list.
*   The Fortune 500 has been around since 1955 and ranks companies by reported revenues for their fiscal year.
*   The Fortune 500 changed in 1994 to include a broader range of company types from different sectors.
*   Recently, the top 100 companies have included many tech, energy, and healthcare companies.
*   The same big companies, like Amazon and Walmart, often show up in the top 10 year after year, even if their rankings shift slightly.

## Understanding the Fortune 100

_Fortune_ published its first Fortune 500 in 1955. Since that year, it has published an annual list of the top 500 revenue-producing companies. The Fortune 100 is an "unofficial" list within the Fortune 500.

> **Important**
>
> The Fortune 100 described here is not the same as the Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For."

The Fortune 500 in 1955 was led by General Motors, a company that held the top position for more than 30 years. [General Motors](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/081915/how-gm-makes-its-money.asp) had revenues of $9.82 billion to top the list. The remaining nine rounded out as follows:

*   Exxon Mobil at $5.66 billion
*   U.S. Steel at $3.25 billion
*   [General Electric](https://www.investopedia.com/insights/rise-and-fall-ge/) at $2.96 billion
*   Esmark at $2.51 billion
*   Chrysler at $2.07 billion
*   Armour at $2.06 billion
*   Gulf Oil at $1.71 billion
*   Mobil at $1.70 billion
*   DuPont at $1.69 billion

> **Fast Fact**
>
> Fortune includes in its 500 list all public and private companies that file financial statements with the government, and are incorporated and operate in the United States.

## Requirements for the Fortune 100

At first, the magazine's editors were stricter on which [business sectors](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sector-breakdown.asp) were included. From 1955 to 1994, the Fortune 100 list (again, a subset of the Fortune 500 list) only included businesses in the manufacturing, mining, and energy sectors. This left out many of the top-earning companies across the country. However, _Fortune_ did publish individual sector lists for the top 50 companies in the industries of banks, [utilities](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/utilities_sector.asp), insurance, retailers, and transportation.

In 1994, _Fortune_ expanded its list of companies to include service companies, opening the door for many newcomers to join. This change added many new companies to the top 100 companies on the Fortune 500 list and also dramatically increased the amount of annual [revenue](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/revenue.asp) required to make the prestigious list.

The Fortune 500 does not include foreign companies, though many of the listed companies have significant international operations.

> **Fast Fact**
>
> Walmart, which joined the list after 1994, was #1 in 2018 with $500.34 billion in revenue. It has been a frequent top 10 company since its inclusion.

## 2024 Fortune 100 Top 10

The highest-ranked companies in the Fortune 100 for the year 2024 are:

1.  Walmart
2.  Amazon
3.  Apple
4.  UnitedHealth Group
5.  Berkshire Hathaway
6.  CVS Health
7.  Exxon Mobile  
    
8.  Alphabet
9.  McKesson
10.  Cencora

## How Are the Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 Different?

Based on rankings from _Fortune_ magazine's Fortune 500 list, the Fortune 100 are the 100 largest public and private companies in the United States based on revenues. The Fortune 100 is a subset of the Fortune 500, derived from a list of companies that operate in the United States and report to federal agencies. Prior to 1994, the Fortune 100 only included companies that operated in the [mining](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTg265z5Km7gdTyFZ98CuKQMI8m5qTTFlbYHBcAzVsOUSdso44wE3qGxgu1di6GiRMOGCshMH0kcJTA/pubhtml), manufacturing, and energy sectors. It has since included companies that operate in the services sector.

## What Is the History of the Fortune 100?

In 1955, _Fortune_ magazine established the Fortune 500 list. At the time, General Motors ranked at the top of the list with revenues in excess of $9.8 billion. This was a position that it continued to hold for the next three decades. Along with General Motors, many of the largest companies by revenue in 1955 are names that still exist today—including Chrysler, Exxon, and DuPont. 

## What Is the Difference Between Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For?

The Fortune 500 ranks the highest revenue-generating companies in the United States each year. By contrast, the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For are ranked according to a survey of employees, who are asked about topics including trust in their organization, reaching their potential, and the effectiveness of leaders, among other variables. To be eligible, companies must employ at least 1,000 employees; government agencies are ineligible.

## The Bottom Line

The Fortune 100 comprises the top 100 companies in the broader Fortune 500 list. a ranking of American companies by annual revenue. To appear on this list is a feather in the cap of a company, and moving up in the ranks is often seen as a positive sign of growth. Many of the Fortune 100 companies also appear in the S&P 500 index.  

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  Fortune. "[Fortune 500](https://fortune.com/ranking/fortune500/2024/)."
>     
> 2.  Fortune. "[100 Best Companies to Work For](https://fortune.com/best-companies/)."
>     
> 3.  Fortune. "[What Happened to the First Fortune 500?](https://fortune.com/2014/06/02/first-fortune-500/)"
>     
> 4.  Fortune. "[Introducing the New Fortune 500 List](https://fortune.com/2018/05/21/fortune-500-companies-2018/)."
>     
> 5.  Fortune. "[Methodology for 100 Best Companies to Work For](https://fortune.com/franchise-list-page/best-companies-2021-methodology/)."