Fortune 500

The Fortune 500 is a ranked list of America's largest corporations compiled annually by Fortune magazine.

Expanded Definition

Fortune bases its rankings on revenue, with ExxonMobil topping the 2009 list with $442 billion in revenue. No. 500 is Legg Mason, with $4.6 billion in revenue. Fortune does many lists, including: best companies to work for, fastest growers, top industries.

Being on the Fortune 500 isn't so much a seal of quality, as a seal of size, although companies that got that large obviously know what they're doing.

Related Fool Articles

• The Make-Your-Own Fortune 500

Related Terms

• Fortune magazine

Recent Mentions on Fool.com

• The Men Who Run Reed Elsevier
• An Interview With Lawrence Cunningham
• 9 Critical Numbers About BB&T
• Why Did Wall Street Let Red Hat Off the Hook?
• This Is One Incredible CEO
• Whole Foods Market: Justifying the Premium