Fortune

Introducing: Fortune 500 Power Moves.💰 Our new weekly column tracks executive shifts—from appointments and promotions to resignations and retirements—within the highest ranks of #Fortune500 companies. Check out our recap of the C-Suite developments at America’s highest-revenue-generating companies since the beginning of December, organized by sector: https://lnkd.in/eQYSGQDV

Over the past 30 years, the biggest health care companies have become truly huge. They now make up eight of the 25 biggest companies in the U.S. by revenue, up from zero in 1995. None is bigger than UnitedHealth Group, which brought in $372 billion in revenue in 2023. As these companies readily acknowledge, they’ve pursued this massive scale—through acquisitions and diversification across health care—precisely so that they could become more efficient, and thus more profitable. They say their size positions them to deliver better health outcomes for lower costs. But the delay and denial that generate so much frustration and distrust among patients are vital elements of that efficiency toolkit. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing was a shocking and senseless tragedy, and it has awakened an important conversation about our flawed health system. Failing to reckon with the widespread consumer frustration with the industry misses the point: The deeper underlying question is whether bigger is better. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dgF4NFEE

Mark Zuckerberg has cashed on Meta’s stock hitting a series of all-time highs this year. The cofounder and CEO of Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, sold shares in the company over the last year worth more than $2.2 billion, according to a Fortune analysis of disclosures for each sale. So far in December alone, Zuckerberg has sold $153.2 million worth of shares, the analysis found. The sales and their value were confirmed by Equilar, a firm that provides data on executives and compensation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dyXdTA7n

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen under Trump when it comes to AI policy.” https://lnkd.in/eMmvfAHu Onstage at the Fortune #BrainstormAI conference in San Francisco, Andreessen Horowitz partner Martin Casado shared why he is “cautiously optimistic” about AI policy under Trump. “Anybody that thinks they know what’s going to happen—I don’t think they really understand the players.” Read more from #BrainstormAI here: https://lnkd.in/eMmvfAHu

Earlier this week the team wrapped up a sponsorship at Fortune Brainstorm AI Summit in San Francisco where they gathered top C-Suite and tech leaders to discuss how the competitive and regulatory landscape will shape AI's evolution, its impact on security, productivity, and jobs, and how the industry can balance rapid innovation with responsible development. We had a chance to hear from cutting edge companies on AI transformation such as OpenAi, Writer, WndrCo, Google and Colin Kaepernick from Lumi. Thank you to Madhav Thattai, LaShonda Anderson-Williams, Prak Bebarta and Erica Rabb representing Salesforce as our featured speakers during the event. Thank you to our partners at Fortune Monica Sembler and Kristen Leoce for the partnership! And huge kudos to Camy Feuer Daniela Catubig Fatima Sy Ivy Wright for the execution of our brand presence.

“The United States is still 25% of the global GDP. The United States is the hegemon.” https://lnkd.in/edUqDjZB As the world navigates a year of major elections and shifting alliances, the global standing of the United Kingdom is at a crossroads. At #FortuneGlobalForum in New York City, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson sat down with us for a conversation on the reelection of Donald Trump, the implications of Brexit, and the evolving dynamics between the U.K., U.S., China, and other global powers. Watch the full story here: https://lnkd.in/edUqDjZB

For Microsoft head of business development, strategy and ventures Christopher Young, identifying the company’s next big thing is the name of the game. And at Fortune’s #BrainstormAI conference in San Francisco, Young walked through some of the biggest AI opportunities he sees on the horizon, from robotics to healthcare to data center sustainability. Embodied AI — basically, AI that is integrated into the physical world — is one important category on Young’s radar. He explained why to Fortune's Kristin Stoller: https://lnkd.in/gS8qUrt3

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down last week in a killing that shocked the corporate world. Executive security firms over the past week have received a huge influx of questions, and the incident could transform how companies go about protecting top executives moving forward.  As for the CEOs themselves, many aren’t resting as easy as they were just a few weeks ago. Read more in Azure Gilman's latest edition of #LearningToLead ⤵️

Japan is facing a population crisis—so Tokyo, its largest city, will try to solve the problem with something new: a four-day workweek. https://lnkd.in/eePimSGW Starting in April, the Tokyo Metropolitan government, one of the country’s largest employers, is set to allow its employees to work only four days a week. It is also adding a new “childcare partial leave” policy, which will allow some employees to work two fewer hours per day. The goal is to help employees who are parents balance childcare and work, said Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eePimSGW

Science has already linked ultra-processed foods to heart disease, inflammation, diabetes, and cancer. But new research out of the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute has confirmed the cancer link in a powerful way—by finding evidence of inflammation in the colon cancer tumors themselves. “It is well known that patients with unhealthy diets have increased inflammation in their bodies,” said Dr. Timothy Yeatman, an author of the study said in the press release. “We now see this inflammation in the colon tumors themselves, and cancer is like a chronic wound that won’t heal.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/dU8PHwg3