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.

aapl logo banner

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

Top Rated Comments

mi7chy Avatar
41 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
41 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
41 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
41 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
41 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
41 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)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...