• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Tesla and Facebook Corporate Reputation Rankings Plummet

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 6, 2019, 9:25 AM ET

It’s been a rough year for Tesla and Facebook.

In the Axios Harris Poll released on Wednesday, Tesla watched its corporate reputation ranking slip 39 places from third place in 2018 to 42nd this year. Facebook, which had been in the 51st spot in 2018, fell 43 slots to 94th in 2019. Once again, Wegmans and Amazon led the corporate reputation rankings. Last year, Amazon was tops and Wegmans second. This year, they’ve swapped positions and now Wegmans earned the best corporate reputation.

The rankings are based on polling data from more than 24,000 American adults on their opinions of the “most visible companies” in the U.S. Only the top seven companies earned “excellent” corporate reputation ratings. Despite its decline, Tesla’s ranking was still “very good.” Facebook landed in the “poor” reputation set.

Tesla’s decline was due in large part to CEO Elon Musk, Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema suggested in an interview with Axios on Wednesday. He told the news outlet that Musk’s behavior last year, including announcing on Twitter that he was considering taking the company private and smoking marijuana on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, among other controversies, proved to be a drag on Tesla’s corporate reputation.

“This is sort of a cautionary tale for when your CEO is a celebrity,” Gerzema told Axios.

Facebook’s ranking decline could have been affected by the company’s troubled 2018 that saw CEO Mark Zuckerberg taken to task by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over privacy concerns and ongoing fears of Russians using Facebook to interfere in U.S. and international elections.

Still, despite those concerns, Facebook couldn’t come close to matching the U.S. government. With a reputation score of “critical,” the U.S. government has the worst reputation of any organization.

Neither Tesla nor Facebook immediately responded to Fortune‘s request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Sarandos
Arts & EntertainmentM&A
It’s a sequel, it’s a remake, it’s a reboot: Lawyers grow wistful for old corporate rumbles as Paramount, Netflix fight for Warner
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 13, 2025
6 minutes ago
Lauren Antonoff
SuccessCareers
Once a college dropout, this CEO went back to school at 52—but she still says the Gen Zers who will succeed are those who ‘forge their own path’
By Preston ForeDecember 13, 2025
20 minutes ago
Oracle chairman of the board and chief technology officer Larry Ellison delivers a keynote address during the 2019 Oracle OpenWorld on September 16, 2019 in San Francisco, California.
AIOracle
Oracle’s collapsing stock shows the AI boom is running into two hard limits: physics and debt markets
By Eva RoytburgDecember 13, 2025
1 hour ago
Asiathe future of work
The CEO of one of Asia’s largest co-working space providers says his business has more in common with hotels
By Angelica AngDecember 12, 2025
8 hours ago
EconomyFederal Reserve
Trump names Warsh, Hassett as top Fed contenders, WSJ says
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy and BloombergDecember 12, 2025
11 hours ago
PoliticsMilitary
Trump says ‘starting’ land strikes over drugs in latest warning
By Justin Sink and BloombergDecember 12, 2025
11 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
For the first time since Trump’s tariff rollout, import tax revenue has fallen, threatening his lofty plans to slash the $38 trillion national debt
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 12, 2025
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
14 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.