Notably, the 2024 list was released just yesterday, so I wouldn't fault anyone for not having seen that yet. Texas was in the lead for a couple of years, but honestly it's so close that I don't think it's interesting to assert that "X state has the most big companies according to some magazine's list!". CA, NY, and TX are all huge states with long-standing business investment. That's not changing any time soon.

I get it, but the fact is…California is currently #1.

As an aside, I do find it still impressive given the number of high profile companies that relocated, and the fact that there’s a constant news doom agenda against California.

All this to say, it’s a healthy reminder of just how much California matters to the US and global economy