Russian President Vladimir Putin (No. 1) takes the top spot on Forbes’
fifth annual ranking of “The World’s Most Powerful People” (p. 136), as
he continues to solidify control over Russia and the international
stage. President Barack Obama (No. 2) dropped from the
number one spot, followed by General Secretary, Communist Party of China Xi
Jinping (No. 3), Pope Francis (No.4) and German Chancellor Angela
Merkel (No. 5). Rounding out the Top 10 are Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation Co-chair Bill Gates (No. 6), U.S. Federal Reserve
Chairman Ben S. Bernanke (No. 7), Saudi Arabia King Abdullah
bin Abdul Aziz (No. 8), European Central Bank President Mario
Draghi (No. 9 ), and the highest ranking active business
person on the list - Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke (No. 10).
UK Prime Minister David Cameron (No. 11) dropped out of the Top
10 to take the 11th spot on the list.
Among the 13 newcomers to the list (and new to their positions) are Pope
Francis (No. 4), China Investment Corp. Chairman Ding Xuedong
(No. 36) and Governor of the Bank of Japan Haruhiko Kuroda (No.
39). They are joined by the richest man in Africa - Nigerian
billionaire Aliko Dangote (No. 64), Samsung Chairman Lee
Kun-Hee (No. 41), Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn (No. 49),
IBM CEO Virginia Rometty (No. 56), and Oracle CEO Larry
Ellison (No. 58). Politicians who are new to the list include South
Korean President Park Geun-hye (No. 52), Prime Minister of Japan
Shinzo Abe (No. 57), and US Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Janet
Yellen (No. 72).
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (No. 15) moved up the list from the 27th
spot last year; his recent purchase of the Washington Post has
sparked debate about the disruption of “old media” and his larger
ambitions. Apple CEO Tim Cook (No. 19) also jumped up the list
from No. 35 in 2012. Forty percent (or 26 people) on the list are
billionaires, with their combined net worth totaling $564.1 billion –
more than the GDP in Sweden, according to The World Bank Group. Four are
from China and 4 are from India. Nine out of the 72 are women, more than
ever before. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (No. 24) and North
Korea Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un (No. 46) are the youngest
on the list, at ages 29 and 30, respectfully.
Four factors were taken into account to select the 72 people that matter
from the 7.2 billion people on the planet: how many people they have
power over; the financial resources they control; if they have influence
in more than one sphere; and how actively they wield their power to
change the world. For the full list, complete methodology and associated
features, visit: www.forbes.com/power.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Cover Story: The Battle for Dell (p. 108) – One of history’s
great entrepreneurs is betting $4 billion of his own money to prove he’s
the right person to save the company he founded in his freshman dorm
room in 1984. We’ve got the inside take on the biggest deal of 2013 and
an exclusive interview with Michael Dell.
Michael Bloomberg: The Exit Interview (p. 120) – Michael
Bloomberg tells us about his future plans after January 1st,
2014, when his extraordinary NYC mayoral run ends, but his power and
influence--thanks to his $31 billion fortune and his passion for public
service—may start to grow.
How General Motors Was Really Saved (p. 154) – On the 5th
anniversary of the GM bailout, the architect of the plan Jay Alex
reveals for the first time what really happened during GM's darkest
days, how a tiny band of corporate outsiders and turnaround experts
convened in Detroit and hatched a radical plan that ultimately set the
foundation to save the company.
A Tale of Two Countries (p. 150) – We take a look at how
the 10 richest Chinese and Indians stack up.
For these stories and more, visit www.forbes.com.
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Copyright Business Wire 2013