Sacramento, CA…”California is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the country – beating out Texas, Florida, and all other states. From tech to finance to entertainment, California’s diverse economy leads with 57 companies on the list.” Governor Gavin Newsom.  Fortune  announced that for the first time since 2014, California is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the country – beating out Texas, Florida, and all other states. From tech to finance to entertainment, the state’s diverse economy has 57 companies on the list, while Texas and New York are tied in second with 52 companies each. Full list of California companies

Bigger picture

California is home to 35 of the world’s 50 leading AI companies, high-impact research and education institutions, and a quarter of the technology’s patents and conference papers. The Golden State, which has the most equitable tax system in the entire country, is #1 in the nation for new business starts, #1 for access to venture capital funding, and the #1 state for manufacturing, high-tech, and agriculture.

Last month, Governor Newsom announced that California’s travel spending reached an all-time high of $150.4 billion last year. This comes after the state’s population increased for the first time since the pandemic and the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook noting that California remains the 5th largest economy in the world for the seventh consecutive year, with a nominal GDP of nearly $3.9 trillion in 2023 and a growth rate of 6.1% since the year prior, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. California’s per capita GDP is the second largest among large economies.