Fortune Global 500 2026 adds TSMC and Tencent to top 100

Fortune's Global 500 2026 ranking put TSMC and Tencent in the top 100 for the first time, a sign that AI demand is lifting revenue across Asian technology and hardware companies. The list ranks the world’s largest companies by revenue, so the movement shows where sales growth is shifting corporate scale.

TSMC climbed 44 places to No. 82 after reporting $122.3 billion in 2025 revenue, up 35.6% from 2024, according to Fortune. The Taiwan chipmaker makes semiconductors for customers including Apple and Nvidia.

CNBC reported that Nvidia has reserved “the majority” of TSMC’s capacity. Nvidia and TSMC also partnered last October on advanced chip packaging capabilities in Phoenix, Arizona, according to Nvidia.

Tencent rose 19 places to No. 97, with 2025 revenue of $104.6 billion, up 14% from a year earlier, according to figures cited by Fortune. The Chinese company operates WeChat and QQ and publishes games including Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile.

Fortune reported that Tencent’s gaming business grew in 2025 and that its advertising business also gained from AI-driven ad targeting. Bloomberg reported last week that rumors about Tencent’s gaming revenue helped trigger a sell-off in Chinese gaming stocks; Tencent shares fell 7.1%, the steepest drop since April 2025.

Why did TSMC and Tencent rise in the Fortune Global 500 2026?

AI systems require advanced processors, memory and server hardware, and Asian companies supply much of that chain. Fortune linked the gains by TSMC, Tencent and other Asian companies to stronger demand for chips, AI servers and digital platforms.

Tencent is also increasing its own AI spending. In March, the company announced plans to double AI-related investment to 36 billion yuan, or $5.2 billion, for model training and hiring, according to Fortune.

Other Asian hardware companies made sharp moves on the list. Wistron, a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer, rose 298 places to No. 198, the biggest jump by any company in this year’s ranking, after posting 2025 revenue of NT$2.19 trillion, or $70.18 billion, up 115%.

Wistron, Quanta Computer and Foxconn have reported rising revenue from assembling servers built with AI processors from companies such as Nvidia, Fortune reported. Wistron chair Simon Lin told Fortune that AI has shortened the product cycle for servers and made each new generation a larger technological step.

SK Hynix rose 101 places to No. 210, with $68.3 billion in revenue. Fortune reported that the South Korean company has become the leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips, a key part of AI processors made by Nvidia and others, and recently completed a $28.5 billion U.S. listing described as the largest share sale by a foreign company in U.S. markets.

Which Asian companies debuted on the Global 500 list?

• Chery Automobile entered at No. 383 with $41.8 billion in revenue. Fortune said the Chinese automaker has been China’s top car exporter for 23 years.
• WT Microelectronics debuted at No. 431 with $37.8 billion in revenue. The Taiwan company began as a local semiconductor distributor in 1993.
• Daikin Industries entered at No. 498 with $33.3 billion in revenue. The Financial Times reported that Daikin’s European air conditioning and refrigeration sales rose almost 10% in the last financial year.
• Coupang debuted at No. 479 with $34.5 billion in revenue. Fortune reported that the company is incorporated in Delaware and lists Seattle as headquarters, while more than 90% of its revenue comes from South Korea.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.