Apple Takes First Position in Top 50 Most Admired Companies
Not only is Apple at an all time high according to the Fortune Top 50 Most Admired Companies, but it seems that one of the most sought-after of Apple’s products, the iPhone, is causing quite a stir in the Gates household (as in Bill Gates, Microsoft founder turned philanthropist). As technology oriented as Bill and Melinda Gates are, it seems that the iPhone is banned in their household; on top of that, their children are not allowed to get an iPhone or iPod.
“There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household. But iPods and iPhones are two things we don't get for our kids,” said Melinda Gates in an interview for Vogue. The interesting thing is that although none of their 3 children are allowed to get the Apple developed smartphone, she admitted in the same interview that every once in a while she sees one of her friends using the iPhone and feels a slight impulse to get one. “Every now and then I look at my friends and say 'Ooh, I wouldn't mind having that iPhone',” said Melinda Gates.
One question pops to mind: What phones do the Gates’ use? The interviewer did not ask this question, so we are only left to wonder. This one reminds me of Barack Obama and how everybody wondered what phone he would use once in office. Since he has been sworn in and has taken his position in the White House, rumors started to circulate that he no longer uses a BlackBerry, but a different device. A while ago, in an interview for the NBC he said the device he currently uses has fingerprint recognition, “it has everything” and can even “turn into a car”. He was undoubtedly joking, making us giggle while refusing to provide a direct answer on whether he continues to use a Blackberry or not.
According to Fortune, this is the Top 50 Most Admired Companies of 2009 are as follows:
1 Apple
2 Berkshire Hathaway
3 Toyota Motor
4 Google
5 Johnson & Johnson
6 Procter & Gamble
7* FedEx
7* Southwest Airlines
9 General Electric
10 Microsoft
11 Wal-Mart Stores
12 Coca-Cola
13 Walt Disney
14 Wells Fargo
15 Goldman Sachs Group
16 McDonald's
17 IBM
18 3M
19 Target
20 J.P. Morgan Chase
21 PepsiCo
22 Costco Wholesale
23 Nike
24 Nordstrom
25 Exxon Mobil
26 Bank of America
27 United Parcel Service
28 BMW
29 American Express
30 Hewlett-Packard
31 Cisco Systems
32 Honda Motor
33 Singapore Airlines
34 Starbucks
35 Caterpillar
36 Intel
37 Marriott International
38 Nestlé
39 Sony
40 Boeing
41 Deere
42 Nokia
43 Northwestern Mutual
44 Best Buy
45 General Mills
46 Toyota Industries
47 Lowe's
48 AT&T
49 Accenture
50 Samsung Electronics
* This year companies whose industry scores are equal when rounded to two places will receive the same rank, i.e., they will tie. In cases of ties, companies are listed in alphabetical order.
“There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household. But iPods and iPhones are two things we don't get for our kids,” said Melinda Gates in an interview for Vogue. The interesting thing is that although none of their 3 children are allowed to get the Apple developed smartphone, she admitted in the same interview that every once in a while she sees one of her friends using the iPhone and feels a slight impulse to get one. “Every now and then I look at my friends and say 'Ooh, I wouldn't mind having that iPhone',” said Melinda Gates.
One question pops to mind: What phones do the Gates’ use? The interviewer did not ask this question, so we are only left to wonder. This one reminds me of Barack Obama and how everybody wondered what phone he would use once in office. Since he has been sworn in and has taken his position in the White House, rumors started to circulate that he no longer uses a BlackBerry, but a different device. A while ago, in an interview for the NBC he said the device he currently uses has fingerprint recognition, “it has everything” and can even “turn into a car”. He was undoubtedly joking, making us giggle while refusing to provide a direct answer on whether he continues to use a Blackberry or not.
According to Fortune, this is the Top 50 Most Admired Companies of 2009 are as follows:
1 Apple
2 Berkshire Hathaway
3 Toyota Motor
4 Google
5 Johnson & Johnson
6 Procter & Gamble
7* FedEx
7* Southwest Airlines
9 General Electric
10 Microsoft
11 Wal-Mart Stores
12 Coca-Cola
13 Walt Disney
14 Wells Fargo
15 Goldman Sachs Group
16 McDonald's
17 IBM
18 3M
19 Target
20 J.P. Morgan Chase
21 PepsiCo
22 Costco Wholesale
23 Nike
24 Nordstrom
25 Exxon Mobil
26 Bank of America
27 United Parcel Service
28 BMW
29 American Express
30 Hewlett-Packard
31 Cisco Systems
32 Honda Motor
33 Singapore Airlines
34 Starbucks
35 Caterpillar
36 Intel
37 Marriott International
38 Nestlé
39 Sony
40 Boeing
41 Deere
42 Nokia
43 Northwestern Mutual
44 Best Buy
45 General Mills
46 Toyota Industries
47 Lowe's
48 AT&T
49 Accenture
50 Samsung Electronics
* This year companies whose industry scores are equal when rounded to two places will receive the same rank, i.e., they will tie. In cases of ties, companies are listed in alphabetical order.
