See which companies made Time’s 2026 most influential list and why

May 1, 2026, 4:09 p.m. ETWhat do Google’s Sundar Pichai, Hailey Bieber and Jimmy "Mr. Beast" Donaldson have in common? They have all been named among the most influential leaders shaping global business, featured on Time's 2026 list of the 100 Most Influential Companies.Now in its sixth year and its largest edition yet, the list spans 205 companies across 20 sectors. According to Time, this year’s selections are tied together by a shared theme: the power of storytelling. The companies recognized are not only driving innovation, but also crafting narratives that inspire employees, investors and consumers to believe in their long-term visions, the magazine says.That idea is embodied by Pichai’s decade-long push to transform Google into an “AI-first” company. While the strategy once appeared premature, Time notes that persistence paid off. Parent company Alphabet reached a $4 trillion market cap in January 2026, while its AI platform Gemini now accounts for roughly a quarter of global AI traffic.The same storytelling principle applies across industries. Bieber built Rhode into a media-driven brand before launching products, leading to a billion-dollar sale to e.l.f. Beauty. Meanwhile, Donaldson’s Beast Industries continues expanding beyond YouTube into entertainment, consumer products and technology.Seen side by side, the