Apple Tops 'World's Most Admired Company' List for 14th Consecutive Year

Apple continues to dominate Fortune's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies" for 2021, taking the top spot for the 14th consecutive year.

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Technology and entertainment held the top four rankings, with Amazon claiming second place, followed by Microsoft in third, and Disney in fourth.

After a year in which humanity leaned more heavily than ever on tech giants—to connect, entertain, and even feed us in a time of isolation — it's fitting that Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft hold the top three spots in Fortune's ranking of corporate reputation. Apple, the premier personal-tech provider, tops the roster for the 14th year in a row, based on our poll of some 3,800 corporate executives, directors, and analysts.

Elsewhere, Netflix returned to the top ten, placing ninth, and Walmart and Target earned their highest rankings since 2011 and 2008. Nvidia and PayPal also earned a place in the top 50 for the first time.

The 50 companies selected for the 2021 Fortune rankings were narrowed down from an initial list of the 1,000 largest companies in the U.S. ranked by revenue and 500 non-U.S. companies from Fortune's Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more.

Management consulting firm Korn Ferry then asked executives, directors, and analysts to rate companies in their own industry based on nine criteria, from investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility and ability to attract talent, and select the ten companies they admired most.

While the result is not indicative of financial performance, the list does provide an interesting insight into how some of the world's best-known companies are perceived relative to each other.

Tag: Fortune

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Top Rated Comments

mi7chy Avatar
56 months ago
My top 8:

#1 AMD
#2 Microsoft
#3 Google
#4 Tesla/Starlink/SpaceX
#5 Nvidia
#6 Lenovo
#7 TSMC
#8 Samsung Semiconductor
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
56 months ago

For those looking for Tesla, it's at 294.
Or at $803 depending on how you look at it.

Hey - woohoo, a front page article that isn't a 'deal' and isn't PRSI. :eek:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
56 months ago

No surprise here! Apple is still setting the trend.

✅Multitouch
✅Touch ID
✅Removing DVD-drives in Macbook Airs
✅FaceID
✅Removal headphone jack
✅Wireless headphones
✅Tablets
✅Removal charger

and the list goes on.
Apple did Multitouch 14 years ago, Touch ID 8 years ago, removed DVD drives from the Air 13 years ago, FaceID and wireless headphones were both done a decade before Apple added it, the iPad is 11 years old, and Apple removed the charger on the Apple Watch 6 years ago.

So Apple's newest innovation on your list is 6 years old. That in no way justifies Apple being at the top of the list today. Also of note - almost that entire list was done by Steve Jobs, not Tim Cook.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kennyt72 Avatar
56 months ago

For those looking for Tesla, it's ranked at 294th.
From 52nd place they're just placed in alphabetical order so any "rank" past 51st is meaningless.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Edsel Avatar
56 months ago
I'm old. I remember when IBM was on top, and Apple Computer was just a joke. One day, you "young'uns" will remember Apple, Inc as I do of IBM. Corporate culture is little different from the culture of the World Wrestling Federation.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ken88 Avatar
56 months ago
SURPRISE!?? not really..wonder which company was #1 15 years ago. Sorry I didn’t read the whole article. Meanwhile Mark Zukerberg’s Facebook rank #1 overrated..it’s true. Hey Mark if you’re read this congratulations you finally BEAT Apple at something?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)