When the business publisher Fortune was first spun out of the former Meredith Corp. in 2018, it faced an uncertain future. 

The legacy title had launched a standalone website only four years prior, had no digital subscription program, and had only a fledgling online readership. Nearly six years later, however, the 94-year-old publisher has since joined the growing list of legacy media titles that have, however improbably, found commercial stability in the digital era. 

Last year, Fortune generated around $130 million in revenue and notched its third straight year of profitability, according to interviews with seven former and current staff.