Business news and Fortune 500 - FORTUNE Magazine

The Simplot Saga: How America's French Fry King Made Billions More in Semiconductors (Fortune, 1995)

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:44:23 EST

A look back at the wild and wooly tale of billionaire J.R. Simplot and the Idaho chip manufacturer he backed, Micron Technology. Micron's CEO Steve Appleton died when a small plane he was piloting crashed earlier this month in Boise.

Fuzzy ads aside, Chrysler still has issues

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:39:15 EST

FORTUNE -- Chrysler is being lavishly praised for its string of Super Bowl ads starring Eminem and Clint Eastwood. A slew of impressive new models like the Dodge Dart, are winning the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker hard-fought second looks. As the U.S. economy gains steam, things should be smooth sailing for Chrysler from here on out, right? Not exactly.

HP: Same issues, different year

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:14:30 EST

FORTUNE -- Last proxy season, HP achieved the dubious distinction of receiving a majority no vote from its shareholders on its executive compensation programs. According to a Council of Institutional Investors study, investors bestowed that distinction on less than 1.6% of companies, those deemed to be the worst pay offenders. Last year, too, HP's (HPQ) board nominations process (which removed four board members and added five more) came under fire because the process did not conform to stated board policy guidelines. In the run up to the proxy filing, HP provided varying explanations about the process, which had been headed by chair Ray Lane. As a result, proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommended against the election of some HP board members. It is a new year and HP issued its new proxy last week. But the more things seem to change at the tech giant, the more they stay the same. HP sports a different CEO this year for the third year running (Meg Whitman replaced Leo Apotheker who replaced Mark Hurd who left in August 2010). HP, yet again, is proposing a new board slate to shareholders (with two new board members and four, including the former CEO, having exited). And the proxy this year reveals the same shortcomings as it did last year: misguided compensation and board nominations.

Look who's switching to iPhones and iPads

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:46:58 EST

Pilots, weatherpeople and roustabouts

#Linsanity should be no surprise

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:37:20 EST

FORTUNE -- Jeremy Lin is the talk of New York and sports fans nationwide. The 6-foot-3 Asian-American Knicks starter and assist-maker with a Harvard economics degree is leading the Knicks, a team in desperate free-fall until he took over six days ago. Lin has become a story as much about his distinct background as his play. Moreover, Lin is not just a perplexing curio of the moment: he is bringing the Knicks real dollars and precious victories.

How Alvin Ailey keeps dancing

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:35:45 EST

FORTUNE -- In 1958, in the midst of the civil rights movement, a young African American man originally from Texas formed a multi-racial modern dance troupe, a daring move. The group first performed in New York City at what was then called the 92nd Street Young Men's Hebrew Association (now the 92nd Street Y). That company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, has since become a major force in American arts. In 2008, Congress named it a "cultural ambassador to the world." So the pressure is on Robert Battle, who took the helm as artistic director of the company in July 2011. He speaks with Fortune about the challenges and the payoff of keeping a modern dance company modern.

Ron Conway is a Silicon Valley startup's best friend

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:58:21 EST

The rooftop deck of Ron Conway's San Francisco apartment building is packed with a random and seemingly incongruous assortment of tech A-listers, celebrities, and sports stars snacking on hors d'oeuvres and sipping fine wines. Conway, Silicon Valley's most prolific startup investor, has graciously opened his tony Pacific Heights pad, which has sweeping views of the Golden Gate, to let about 150 of his closest friends get a good look at the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy's aerobatics team, which are in town for the weekend.

For economists, new disclosures, same problems

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:48:19 EST

Economists are now expected to disclose their financial ties and other conflicts of interest in published papers, but don't expect the science of economics to become more exact.

Why Honeywell is out to nix Nest

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:21:16 EST

FORTUNE -- Earlier this week, the technology giant Honeywell filed a lawsuit against Silicon Valley startup Nest Labs for allegedly infringing on Honeywell patents in designing its acclaimed Nest Learning Thermostat. While it was a surprising move for the Fortune 500 company, it wasn't totally out of the blue.

Fisker Auto's bad Karma

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:14:46 EST

The Fisker Karma is rolling onto the world automotive stage as car writers in the U.S. and Europe examine the car in person for the first time and take their initial laps behind the wheel. They could certainly be excused for seeing the car and its creator through rose-colored glasses. Both have been the recipient of more advance publicity than a Donald Trump presidential endorsement.

Larry Page: Google should be like a family

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:16:21 EST

In an exclusive interview with Fortune, Larry Page, Google's original CEO, who reassumed the position a year ago, speaks with obvious pride about the "family" environment Google tries to encourage, how it differs from his own grandfather's workplace, and how free food encourages people to eat less. And while he doesn't rule out charging for those meals one day, don't count on its happening anytime soon.

'I work for a Best Company!'

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:16:28 EST

Interesting assignments, unfaltering support, stints abroad: No wonder these folks love their workplaces.

25 top-paying companies

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:11:44 EST

Engineers at Devon Energy take home an average $178,305 total compensation annually. See which other Best Companies to Work For offer big paychecks.

25 Top Companies for Leaders

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:44:25 EST

These companies go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to grooming talent.

How do great companies groom talent?

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:36:19 EST

You can't build a great business without nurturing from within. Meet the firms that are doing it right.

Toyota back on track

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:41:25 EST

100 Best Companies to Work For

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:26:25 EST

100 Best Companies to Work For

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:35:18 EST

The future issue

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:32:51 EST

Investor's Guide 2012

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:23:58 EST