• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
LeadershipCEO Daily

CEO Daily: Wednesday, July 22

By
John Kell
John Kell
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 22, 2015, 6:43 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Later this morning, we publish the Fortune Global 500 – the world’s largest companies ranked by revenue. A few interesting takeaways for your morning reading:

 

-While a U.S. company – Walmart – still tops the list, for the first time a Chinese company – Industrial & Commercial Bank of China – had the highest profits. There were a total of 98 Chinese companies on the list – up from only 19 ten years ago.

 

–Global 500 revenues totaled $31.2 trillion last year – triple the levels of two decades ago, when we started the list. And the companies employed 65.2 million people, up from 34.5 million two decades ago. Global 500 revenues as a share of the total world economy remain roughly unchanged at 40% compared to 37% two decades ago.

 

-Japan’s presence continues to shrink on the Global 500, with only 54 companies. In 1995, Japan had 149 companies on the list.

 

-The U.S. had 128 companies on the list this year, down from a peak of 197 companies in 2002.

 

-Banks (55), petroleum refiners (38) and automakers/parts suppliers (34) are the three industries with the most companies on the list.

 

You can see the full list online after 8:30 a.m.

 

And a correction from yesterday: I said that in Jack Ma’s world, “having a digital marketplace and a digital payment system in the same company still makes some sense.” In fact, Ma separated Alipay from Alibaba Group in 2011, but he still controls both.

 

Enjoy the day.

 

Alan Murray
@alansmurray
alan.murray@fortune.com

Top News

• FCC poised to approve AT&T's DirecTV bid

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced he would approve AT&T's $49 billion bid for DirecTV, a move that wasn't a big surprise but did help address the unresolved issue of how new net neutrality rules would apply to the deal. Approval requires AT&T not to favor DirecTV shows over other content when it comes to broadband data plans and it also requires AT&T to submit regular reports of so-called interconnection agreements that govern ISP's relations with content providers like Netflix. Fortune

• Apple's shares suffer a setback

While sales of the iPhone's newest models helped propel another huge quarter for Apple, boosting revenue by 33%, the sales outlook going forward was weaker than Wall Street analysts and investors had anticipated. There is little doubt the iPhone keeps selling well but mystery remains over Apple Watch. Apple didn't disclose shipments of that gadget and some are worried it hasn't been selling well. USA Today

• Slow PC sales ding Microsoft

Microsoft posted a steep quarterly loss due to a pre-announced charge to cover the cost of thousands of Nokia-related layoffs, as well as a write down of the deal based on more muted expectations for the mobile business going forward. PC sales were also problematic but Microsoft tired to tout some good news. Bing is expected to be profitable in the next fiscal year and Windows 10, which launches on July 29, should spark growth. Fortune

• Yahoo's elephant in the room

In another tech earnings news story, all investors seemed to care about at Yahoo is not how it manages core aspects of its business, but what Yahoo will do with the 15% holding in Internet giant Alibaba. Yahoo is still waiting for a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service as to whether the company will have to pay taxes on the planned spinoff of its Alibaba shares, and Yahoo said while it was making progress, there was no clear decision yet. Fortune

Around the Water Cooler

• The scary world of hacked cars

Two highly respected security researchers are next month planning to demonstrate how they have discovered a way to control hundreds of thousands of vehicles remotely. The auto maker criticized the fact that the researchers disclosed the vulnerability publicly. And in an unrelated news story this week, Wired showcased how hackers could take over the controls of a vehicle while in motion. New York Times (subscription required)

• What's next for BP?

BP, which moved to put the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill behind it when it agreed to pay billions to settle most remaining liabilities, is in a bit of a bind. After selling billions in assets to pay for the spill fallout, BP is left with a smaller collection of assets around the globe with many of them presenting challenges. That includes a stalled investment in India, political hurdles in Russia and money-losing shale operations in the U.S. WSJ (subscription required)

• Ashley Madison hack exposes Ottowa

One in five Ottawa residents have allegedly subscribed to adulterers' website Ashley Madison, a website that become the latest high profile target of a cyber attack. Some 189,810 users were registered in Ottawa, a city with a population of about 883,000, making the capital the biggest city for philanderers in Canada and potentially the highest globally per capita. Fortune

• An effort to chronicle all art

Verisart, a tech startup, is attempting to chronicle original artworks, prints and books with the hope that down the road it can help sell art digitally. The idea is Verisart will verify an artwork's authenticity but also have information on who is buying. Both moves benefit artists and collectors. Bloomberg

About the Authors
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Alan Murray
By Alan Murray
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Older worker sad at laptop
SuccessGen X
A quarter of young baby boomers and Gen Xers who’ve been laid off in the last decade are still unemployed—and 11% have taken pay cuts to work
By Emma BurleighJuly 4, 2026
7 hours ago
usa
North Americahistory
Before independence, America tried — and failed — to conquer Canada
By Sarah M.S. Pearsall and The ConversationJuly 4, 2026
7 hours ago
The 1964 box set that predicted Dylan going electric — and still explains American music today
Arts & EntertainmentMusic
The 1964 box set that predicted Dylan going electric — and still explains American music today
By Ted Olson and The ConversationJuly 4, 2026
7 hours ago
Ejay O'Donnell, Bart Szaniewski, and Grant Eastey wear Dad Gang hats in a factory
SuccessEntrepreneurship
Three dads started selling hats from a garage with $750—now they’ve sold $35 million worth, partnered with Gary Vee, and grown a community of fathers
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
10 hours ago
loco
Travel & LeisureEntrepreneurship
The World Cup is just now discovering Middle America’s big heart. These Irish bingo kingpins built a $24 million business knowing it all along
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 4, 2026
11 hours ago
JPMorgan built a pipeline of female CEO candidates that was the envy of Wall Street. How did it fall apart?
MPWMost Powerful Women
JPMorgan built a pipeline of female CEO candidates that was the envy of Wall Street. How did it fall apart?
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 4, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
13 hours ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
7 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.