According to AppleInsider, Apple has secured the top position on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list for a 19th consecutive year. The ranking, compiled with Korn Ferry, is based on a survey of roughly 3,000 executives, directors, and analysts who rated companies across nine criteria. Apple beat out major competitors, with Microsoft taking second place, Amazon in third, newcomer Nvidia in fourth, and Alphabet in eighth. Within its specific “Computer” industry category, Apple also ranked first, a position it has held for 16 of the last 17 years. The survey process started with a candidate pool of about 1,500 companies, which was narrowed to 685 across various industries before executives voted.
The Untouchable Reputation
Nineteen years is an eternity in business. Think about it. When this streak started, the iPhone didn’t even exist. Apple has navigated the post-Jobs era, massive market shifts, and intense regulatory scrutiny, all while maintaining this aura of admiration among its peers. That’s the real story here. It’s not about a single hot product; it’s about a perceived mastery of the fundamentals that other executives clearly envy. Fortune specifically noted that respondents gave Apple top marks for “smart management of talent, capital, and supply chains” on par with its innovation score. In a year dominated by AI chatter, that’s a telling detail. The core business engine, the one that prints money and executes at a scale few can match, is still what commands the most respect.
Behind The Survey Curtain
Now, it’s worth asking: what does “most admired” really mean? This isn’t a consumer popularity contest. It’s a peer review from 3,000 insiders—the people who know how hard this stuff is. They’re rating each other on things like quality of management, financial soundness, and ability to attract talent. So when Apple wins, it’s like getting the “Best Player” award voted on by the other professional athletes. They see the operational excellence up close, even if the public only sees the shiny gadgets. The methodology is solid, too. They whittle down thousands of companies, have executives rate their direct rivals first, and then ask for a free-for-all vote for the top ten overall. Apple consistently clearing that hurdle is a powerful signal of entrenched institutional prestige.
Context and Competition
Look at the company keeping it off the top spot: Microsoft. Satya Nadella has orchestrated one of the great corporate turnarounds of our time, pushing Microsoft into a cloud and AI powerhouse. Amazon redefined global commerce and infrastructure. And Nvidia, the new kid in fourth place, is literally building the plumbing for the AI era. Yet, Apple still sits above them all. It speaks to a different kind of strength—a integrated, consumer-focused model that seems perpetually in control. But here’s the thing: this admiration is a lagging indicator. It reflects past and present execution. The big question for Apple is whether this perceived management brilliance can navigate the next seismic shift as smoothly as it did the move to mobile. Because you can bet those executives voting are watching that exact scenario play out in real time.
