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

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Two of Apple's Oldest Products Are Finally Getting Updated This Year

Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products. Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year. Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2. HomePod mini 2 In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...

Top Rated Comments

mi7chy Avatar
53 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
53 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
53 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
53 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
53 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
53 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)