• 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

Huawei Order, Trump Pardon, PG&E Fire: CEO Daily for May 16, 2019

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 16, 2019, 6:30 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Good morning.

The new Fortune 500 list—the iconic benchmark of success for American corporations—is out this morning. Once again, Walmart took top honors, and Exxon Mobil scored second. But there were some big movers in the tech world: Apple displaced Berkshire Hathaway for the #3 spot, and Amazon cracked the top five for the first time, moving up from No. 8 last year.

As Fortune’s Erika Fry points out, the list is getting increasingly top heavy. The top 50 firms earned 47.7% of all Fortune 500 revenues. That’s up from 46.9% last year, 43.7% 15 years ago, and 41% in 1995. Given recent mergers—CVS-Aetna, AT&T-Time Warner, Marathon-Andeavor—it’s possible the top 50 will account for half of all revenues by the time of next year’s list.

Some of that reflects the inevitable tendencies in today’s tech-driven world, where zero-marginal-cost businesses and scale economies create winner-take-most outcomes. And some reflects the fact that regulators haven’t figured out how to deal with legacy companies that insist they have to merge to compete with their data-rich tech competitors. But it should be no surprise to anyone, given this trend, that antitrust laws are starting to get a second look.

Also this morning, we are putting out more results from our Fortune 500 CEO poll. A few takeaways:

–61% of Fortune 500 CEOs think the economy will stay the same over the next 12 months; only 21% think it will get worse. And slightly over half think a recession won’t hit in the next two years.

–76% think the Federal Reserve has been “just right” in its conduct of monetary policy.

–And 74% say the U.S. remains the best region for them to invest over the next two years.

You can explore the list here, read Erika Fry’s essay on scale here, and see the poll data here.

More news below.

Alan Murray
@alansmurray
alan.murray@fortune.com

Top News

Huawei Ban

President Trump has signed the predicted executive order that effectively bans Huawei from U.S. telecoms networks. But there's more: the Commerce Department has added Huawei to its "entity list," which threatens the Chinese firm's ability to use U.S. technology in its products. Huawei says its equipment poses no national security threat to the U.S. or anywhere else, and it is "willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments" to prove it. Al Jazeera

Trump Pardon

Trump has pardoned the fraudster and former media mogul Conrad Black, who last year published a favorable biography of Trump. The White House said Black, who served a few years in U.S. jail a decade back, had made "tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought." Black defrauded shareholders in his company, Hollinger International, of more than $6 million. BBC

PG&E Fire

Californian investigators have pinned the state's deadliest wildfire on a faulty PG&E transmission line near the town of Pulga. The finding adds extra pressure to the utility, which is already facing enormous liability costs. Wall Street Journal

Brexzzzit

It's back! British Prime Minister Theresa May will ask Parliament to vote for a fourth time on the Brexit deal it has already rejected three times. The vote will take place in early June. Will she succeed this time? Deeply unlikely—she and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn have failed to strike any kind of deal between themselves, and Parliament remains as divided as ever. It’s been said before so it should be said with caution, but May is probably not going to remain prime minister for much longer. Politico

Around the Water Cooler

Female CEOs

This year's Fortune 500 list includes 33 companies with female CEOs—just 6.6% of the total, but a huge leap forward from last year's total of 24. Two of the companies have had female CEOs for a long while but have now entered the Fortune 500. Several other companies, such as Best Buy and Northrop Grumman, were already on the list but have now appointed female chief executives. Fortune

Huawei Persecution

Bloomberg opinion columnist Tim Culpan reckons the White House and Commerce Department have given Huawei a golden opportunity to claim persecution by the Americans. The U.S. still hasn't provided evidence of Huawei's supposedly espionage-enabling equipment flaws. Culpan: "The U.S. actions feed a narrative that the campaign against Huawei is political rather than security-related. That could be a useful campaign tool as the company looks to ply its wares in more amenable nations." Bloomberg

China Arrests

China has now formally arrested two Canadians that it detained last year. Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig are apparently suspected of gathering state secrets for foreign forces. Spavor and Kovrig were detained shortly after Canada arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who faces deportation to the U.S. Spavor is a businessman; Kovrig works for the International Crisis Group conflict-resolution NGO. Reuters

Occidental and Anadarko

Fortune's Jen Wieczner provides a deep dive into the Occidental-Anadarko merger, which was partly financed by Berkshire Hathaway. "For years, the sector burned so many investors that many abandoned it," she writes. "But the Occidental deal may have reignited interest. It’s funny what $10 billion from Warren Buffett will do." Fortune

This edition of CEO Daily was edited by David Meyer. Find previous editions here, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters here.

About the Authors
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
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
8 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
8 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.