London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Apr 23, 2026

Nearly Half of All Fortune 500 Companies Were Founded By Immigrants or Their Children, Study Finds

Nearly Half of All Fortune 500 Companies Were Founded By Immigrants or Their Children, Study Finds

A recent American economy study found that immigrants and the children of immigrants founded 45 percent of U.S. Fortune 500 companies, amassing $6.1 trillion in annual revenue last year.

The study, released Thursday from The New American Economy Research Fund, is the latest piece of research tying a significant portion of U.S. economic growth to migrant families. The pro-immigration group's data revealed there were 101 companies founded directly by foreign-born individuals and another 122 were created by the children of immigrants. U.S. Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants employ 13.5 million people and, on average, employ 11 percent more people than the median Fortune 500 corporation founded by a non-immigrant.

Several legacy immigrant-founded companies have become household names throughout much of the country, including Apple and Costco, in addition to more recent creations such as Intuit and Broadcom.

The revenue brought in by these companies on the New American Fortune 500 list is $1.1 trillion more than Japan's entire gross domestic product, $2.1 trillion more than Germany's GDP and nearly three times that of the United Kingdom's entire GDP. As the report notes, the 13.5 million people employed by these companies creates a population that would rank as the fifth largest state in the country.

More than 50 percent of the revenue pulled in by Fortune 500 companies in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Washington and New York states originated from companies founded by immigrants or their children. In Illinois alone, revenue brought in by immigrant-led Fortune 500 companies equaled 70 percent of the state's overall GDP.

Comparatively, companies founded by non-immigrants such as Walmart, Exxon and CVS amassed $7.6 trillion in 2018.

Last year, a Citigroup and Oxford University report found that two-thirds of U.S. GDP expansion since 2011 was "directly attributable to migration." The report reflected that the risks of migration draw in people who are inherently entrepreneurial-minded despite only making up about 14 percent of the overall U.S. population. The study noted immigrants were more than twice as likely to come up with a patented invention or to win an Academy Award or Nobel Prize.

The study does not differentiate between legal and illegal forms of entry into the United States.

"Their presence," wrote co-author Ian Goldin, a professor of globalization and development at Oxford, "usually is associated with higher wages, higher productivity, lower unemployment and higher female workforce participation."

The Citigroup/Oxford study showed that migrants had founded about 40 percent of businesses on the Fortune 500 list and about one-third of all the country's businesses founded since 2011.

As Axios noted Monday, several economics professors including Harvard University's George J. Borjas have detailed how immigrants receive government assistance at higher rates than people born in the U.S., saying immigration creates a $50 billion "fiscal hole" that falls on American taxpayers each year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Crypto Scammers Capitalize on Maritime Chaos Near the Strait of Hormuz: A Rising Threat to Shipping Companies
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
Power Dynamics: Apple’s Leadership Shakeup, Geopolitical Risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's Energy Strategy Amidst Global Challenges
Apple's Leadership Transition: Can New CEO John Ternus Navigate AI Challenges and Geopolitical Pressures?
Italy’s €100K Tax Gambit: Europe’s Soft Power Tax Haven
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Privacy Problems in Microsoft Windows OS
News roundup
Péter András Magyar and the Strategic Reset of Hungary
Hungary After the Landslide — A Strategic Reset in Europe
Meghan Markle Plans Exclusive Women-Focused Retreat During Australia Visit
Starmer and Trump Hold Strategic Talks on Securing Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Unofficial Australia Visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Expected to Stir Tensions with Royal Circles
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
UK Stocks Rise on Ceasefire Momentum and Renewed Focus on Diplomacy
UK to Hold Further Strategic Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security
Starmer Voices Frustration as Global Tensions Drive Up UK Energy Costs
UK Students Voice Concern Over Proposal for Automatic Military Draft Registration
Rising Volatility Drives Uncertainty in UK Fuel and Petrol Prices
UK Moves to Deploy ‘Skyhammer’ Anti-Drone System to Strengthen Airspace Defense
New Analysis Explores UK Budget Mechanics in ‘Behind the Blue’ Feature
Man Arrested After Four Die in Channel Crossing Tragedy
UK Tightens Immigration Framework with New Sponsor Rules and Fee Increases
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
UK Calls for Full and Toll-Free Access Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Starmer Signals Strategic Shift for Britain Amid Escalating Iran-Linked Tensions
UK Issues Firm Warning to Russia Over Covert Underwater Military Activity
OpenAI Halts Stargate UK Project, Casting Uncertainty Over Britain’s AI Expansion Plans
Starmer Voices Frustration Over Global Pressures Driving UK Energy Costs Higher
UK Deploys Military Assets to Protect Undersea Cables From Suspected Russian Threat
Canada Aligns With US, UK and Australia as Europe Prepares Major Digital Border Overhaul
Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance Sparks Fresh Speculation
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
UK to Partner with Shipping Industry to Rebuild Confidence in Strait of Hormuz, Cooper Says
UK Interest Rate Expectations Ease Following US–Iran Ceasefire Agreement
Starmer Signals Major Effort Needed to Fully Reopen Strait of Hormuz During Gulf Visit
UK Fuel Prices Face Ongoing Volatility Amid Global Pressures and Domestic Factors
Kanye West’s Planned Italy Festival Appearance Draws Debate After UK Entry Ban
Smuggling Routes Shift Toward Belgium as Migrant Crossings to UK Evolve
Ceasefire Offers Potential Relief for UK Fuel and Food Prices Amid Ongoing Uncertainty
Iran Conflict Raises Questions Over UK’s Global Influence and Military Preparedness
Senator McConnell Visits Kentucky to Highlight Federal Investment in Local Projects
Kanye West Barred from Entering UK as Legal Grounds Come into Focus
UK Denies Visa to Kanye West After Sponsors Withdraw from Wireless Festival
Trump-Era Forest Service Restructuring Leads to Closure of UK Lab Focused on Kentucky Woodland Health
Foreign Students in the UK Describe Harsh Living Conditions and Financial Pressures
×