Fortune (magazine)

• 1. Founding And Debut

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  Henry Luce launched Fortune magazine in 1929, declaring it the Ideal Super-Class Magazine. The publication made its official debut in February 1930 during the Great Depression. Single copies of that first issue cost one dollar. An urban legend claims art director Thomas Maitland Cleland mocked up the cover with a one-dollar price tag before anyone decided on the actual fee. People saw the expensive magazine for sale and assumed it must contain worthwhile content. Thirty thousand subscribers had already signed up to receive that initial 184-page issue. By 1937, subscriber numbers grew to 460,000. The magazine turned half a million dollars in annual profit by that same year.

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• 2. Visual Innovation Era

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  Fortune was an oversized 11-inch by 14-inch publication using creamy heavy paper. It featured full color throughout and a high-quality cover printed by a special process. Leading graphic designers Leo Lionni and Will Burtin served as art directors during the 1950s and 1960s. Walker Evans worked as photography editor from 1945 until 1965. The magazine noted its color photography featuring work by Margaret Bourke-White and Ansel Adams. At a time when business publications were little more than black-and-white numbers, Fortune stood apart. A team of writers including James Agee and Archibald MacLeish joined specifically for their writing abilities. The magazine developed a reputation for social conscience alongside its visual innovations.

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• 3. Editorial Evolution

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  From its launch in 1930 to 1978, Fortune was published monthly. In January 1978, it began publishing biweekly issues. October 2009 saw the magazine begin publishing every three weeks due to declining advertising revenue. As of 2018, Fortune is published 14 times a year. Marshall Loeb became managing editor in 1986. During his tenure, he expanded the traditional focus on business with added graphs and charts. He also introduced articles on executive life and social issues like homelessness. The top editor title changed from managing editor to editor in 2014 after Time Inc. eliminated the editor-in-chief role. Alyson Shontell currently holds the position of editor-in-chief since 2021.

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• 4. Corporate Ownership Shifts

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  Time Warner owned Time Inc. between 1990 and 2014. Fortune articles were hosted at CNNMoney.com during that period. June 2014 marked when Fortune launched its own website at Fortune.com after spinning off from its corporate parent. the 26th of November 2017 announced Meredith Corporation would acquire Time Inc. for 2.8 billion dollars. That acquisition completed on the 31st of January 2018. the 9th of November 2018 revealed Meredith was selling Fortune to Thai billionaire Chatchaval Jiaravanon for 150 million dollars. Jiaravanon belongs to Thailand's wealthiest family and leads Charoen Pokphand Group. Since March 2020, access to Fortune.com has been restricted by a paywall. July 2025 saw Fortune lay off 10 percent of its 360 full-time employees.

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• 5. Ranked Lists Legacy

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  Fortune regularly publishes ranked lists including companies ranked by gross revenue. The magazine has published the Fortune 500 annually since 1955. It also produces the Fortune Global 500 list. In human resources, it publishes Best Companies to Work For. Other rankings include Fortune India 500 and Fortune China 500. The publication features Businessperson of the Year and World's Most Admired Companies. Additional lists cover Fastest Growing Companies and Crypto 40 blockchain businesses. Fortune Indonesia serves the Indonesian region with monthly print versions and online portals. Editor-in-Chief Hendra Soeprajitno currently leads that regional edition. The magazine competes with Forbes and Bloomberg Businessweek in the national business category.

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