By: Christian Brooks
50% of new U.S. businesses fold within their first five years, per Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Founders scramble for quick growth, burn cash chasing fleeting trends, and rarely plan past the next funding round. Hardly anyone stops to ask how companies survive for 200 years, let alone make the Fortune 500 while doing it.
The newly released 2026 Fortune 500 includes a handful of firms that trace roots to the 18th century or earlier. Molson Coors, the maker of Coors, Miller and Blue Moon, launched in 1774 before U.S. independence, now ranks No.390 with $11.14 billion in revenue and 16,000+ employees. BNY launched in 1784, while Cigna and State Street followed in 1792. JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Hartford Insurance also sit in the 200+ year club, surviving wars, the Great Depression and repeated market crashes.
The 200-year survival of American banking institutions and insurance companies
NYU Stern emeritus professor Richard Sylla breaks corporate longevity down to two simple rules. First, pick a stable, core industry that will always have demand. Second, build leadership that anticipates risk instead of chasing short-term gains. State Street stuck to its narrow, high-expertise niche for decades with no strategic drift. Cigna adjusted its offerings from ship insurance to health services, but never abandoned its core purpose of protecting people. Any new business that wants to outlast the current market cycle needs to prioritize these two rules over viral growth hacks.
Author bio: Christian Brooks, prominent financial and business lead commentator with 17 years covering corporate strategy and long-term market performance.
