Has anyone suggested that? It's a virtual world, BTW, in case you hadn't noticed. Wealthy people need not live in any particular state (or nation) in order for businesses to exist.
How did you arrive at that conclusion?
Hundreds of businesses have relocated their headquarters (HQ) out of California in the past decade (roughly 2016–2026), including dozens of major or high-profile ones, though the total represents a small share of the state’s overall companies and the trend involves both large and small firms.
Comprehensive data is most detailed through 2021, with public announcements and high-profile cases filling in later years. Key findings from nonpartisan and research sources:
All companies (broad definition): The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC, using Dun & Bradstreet data) found 147–213 headquarters relocated out of California each year from 2011 to 2021, with an upward trend after 2017 (reaching over 200 in 2021). This resulted in a net loss of 789 headquarters (1.9% of the state’s ~47,000 at the start of the period). Larger companies were more likely to leave proportionally than smaller ones.
A Hoover Institution analysis (tracking announcements, state filings, and other sources) documented 352 companies moving their HQ out of California from 2018 to 2021 alone. The pace accelerated sharply: 153 in 2021 (more than double 2020 levels). This count understates smaller moves that receive little media attention.
Publicly announced / notable relocations (more aligned with "major companies"): CBRE’s tracking of 725 U.S. headquarters relocations (2018–2025) showed California metros as the biggest net losers. The San Francisco Bay Area had a net loss of 163 headquarters; Los Angeles/Irvine also saw substantial outflows (around 50–106 in earlier subsets of the period). Texas metros (especially Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin) captured the most gains nationwide.
Fortune 500 / Fortune 1000 level ("major" large public companies): Hoover identified 11 Fortune 1000 companies leaving in 2018–2021. CBRE data showed California losing 8 Fortune 500 headquarters from 2018–2023 (many to Texas). Media roundups consistently highlight 14–20 prominent examples across the decade.
Notable high-profile moves (examples from lists covering the past decade, often to Texas or other lower-tax/lower-regulation states) include:
- Tesla (Palo Alto → Austin, 2021)
- Chevron (San Ramon → Houston, 2024)
- Oracle (Redwood City → Austin, 2020; later partial moves)
- Charles Schwab (San Francisco → Westlake, TX, 2019)
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) (San Jose → Spring, TX, 2020)
- McKesson (San Francisco area → Irving, TX, 2019)
- CBRE (Los Angeles → Dallas, 2020)
- Palantir (Palo Alto → Denver, 2020)
- SpaceX (Hawthorne → Starbase, TX, 2024)
- Others: AECOM, FICO, Realtor.com, Neutrogena (part of Kenvue), Playboy, and more.
These outflows are real and accelerating (driven by taxes, regulations, housing costs, and business climate), but PPIC and others emphasize they affect a small percentage of California’s total businesses. In short, hundreds overall (with annual rates of 150–200+ in recent years studied), and at least 20–30+ major/high-profile corporations by common definitions. The exact figure for “major companies” depends on thresholds, but the pattern of notable exits is well-documented and ongoing.