Forbes
A business media brand covering billionaires, entrepreneurship, finance and leadership with a large contributor network.
Forbes at a glance
Forbes is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in United States, currently ranked #102 in the country. It was founded in 1917 by B. C. Forbes and is headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, USA. Today Forbes is owned by Forbes Media LLC. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 130 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through digital advertising, licensing, events. Its closest rivals include bloomberg.com, businessinsider.com, cnbc.com.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 122 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 126 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 130 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 138 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in United States, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- United States86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 39 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- United States
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| forbes | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the United States web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in United States
Company information
- Website
- forbes.com
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Forbes Media LLC
- Owner type
- Private company
- Founders
- B. C. Forbes
- Founded
- 1917
- Headquarters
- Jersey City, NJ, USA
- Employees
- 500+
- Ownership
- Forbes Media LLC controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $400 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- English
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $400 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Private company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Forbes operates a news and media publisher focused on United States. A business media brand covering billionaires, entrepreneurship, finance and leadership with a large contributor network. Revenue comes mainly from digital advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Digital advertising
- Licensing
- Events
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- United States
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (United States)
- #102 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in United States
- Global rank
- 450
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bloomberg.com | ≈ 78 million / month | #103 class competitor | — |
| businessinsider.com | ≈ 58.5 million / month | #104 class competitor | — |
| cnbc.com | ≈ 39 million / month | #105 class competitor | — |
What is Forbes?
Forbes (forbes.com) is a news and media publisher serving users in United States. A business media brand covering billionaires, entrepreneurship, finance and leadership with a large contributor network. It ranks #102 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Forbes?
The site is operated by Forbes Media LLC, founded by B. C. Forbes. The company was established in 1917 and is headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, USA. It employs around 500+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Forbes at roughly 130 million visits per month, about 4.3 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How Forbes makes money
Revenue comes primarily from digital advertising, alongside licensing, events.
Competitors in United States
Its closest rivals include bloomberg.com, businessinsider.com, cnbc.com.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1917
Forbes is founded in Jersey City, NJ, USA.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #102 among the most visited websites in United States.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Forbes?
Forbes is operated by Forbes Media LLC. Private company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Forbes headquartered?
Forbes is headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, USA.
When was Forbes founded?
Forbes was founded in 1917 by B. C. Forbes.
How many employees does Forbes have?
Forbes employs approximately 500+ people.
What is Forbes's revenue?
Forbes's revenue: ≈ $400 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are Forbes's competitors?
Main competitors in United States include bloomberg.com, businessinsider.com, cnbc.com.
How does Forbes make money?
Mainly digital advertising, licensing, events.
Is Forbes publicly traded?
No — Forbes is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Forbes Media LLC.
How many visitors does Forbes get?
Third-party estimates place Forbes at roughly 130 million visits per month, mostly from United States, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Forbes safe?
Forbes is an established news & media site founded in 1917 and ranked #102 in United States; use the official domain forbes.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsforbes.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageUnited States and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos