Top influential people in the world. Top most influential people in the world
1. Vladimir Putin
President of Russia
Age: 63
A country: Russia
Family status: divorced, two children
According to Forbes, Vladimir Putin still has no equal in terms of the totality of parameters analyzed. The Russian President continues to prove that he is one of the few people in the world powerful enough to do what they want, Forbes notes. “International sanctions imposed after he seized Crimea and launched a proxy war in Ukraine collapsed the ruble and plunged the country into a deep recession, but did not harm Putin himself: in June his rating rose to a record 89%. In October, he began bombing ISIS positions in Syria and met with President Bashar al-Assad, weakening the position of the United States and NATO in the region and returning international influence to Russia,” the publication concludes.
2. Angela Merkel
Chancellor of Germany
Age: 61
A country: Germany
Family status: Married
Angela Merkel continues to rule one of the world powers and remains the most powerful woman in the world for more than 10 years. In December 2014, she was elected to the post of Chancellor of Germany for the third time - after another four years at the head of the government, she will turn into the main democratically elected political long-liver of the EU. Merkel steered the German economy through the global crisis with skillful use of stimulus measures and government subsidies, and also played a decisive role in preserving a united Europe by intervening in the Greek crisis. The German chancellor is also an active supporter of the fight against ISIS, becoming the first German ruler to break the post-World War II taboo on participation in hostilities. Merkel became an important participant in another conflict - the Ukrainian one. Here she acts as a mediator and, together with Vladimir Putin, is one of the guarantors of the existing peace agreements.
3. Barack Obama
President of the U.S.A
Age: 54
A country: USA
Family status: married, two children
The United States, of course, remains a leading global power - in economics, culture, diplomacy, technology, military and other sectors. However, in the last year of his presidency, Obama clearly lost his own influence. Domestically, his rating rarely rises above 50%, and on the global stage the American leader is eclipsed by Angela Merkel as the mistress of a united Europe and Vladimir Putin as the new protagonist of the Middle East conflict.
4. Pope Francis
Pope
Age: 78
A country: Vatican
The spiritual leader of one-sixth of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, Pope Francis has radically changed the church's conservative image in just a few years. In September, he made a triumphant six-day visit to the United States, where he spoke before Congress and the UN, touching on climate issues, immigration, the infringement of the rights of religious minorities in the Middle East, etc. He also visited a prison in Philadelphia and met with victims of sexual abuse, again asking for forgiveness for sex scandals in the church. The first Jesuit pope and the first Latin American pontiff, he does not hesitate to discuss previously taboo topics, such as the rights of sexual minorities, women's rights, etc. Francis also devotes a lot of time to helping the poor, which is highly appreciated by his flock.
5. Xi Jinping
Chairman of the People's Republic of China
Age: 62
A country: China
Family status: married, one child
The Chinese leader carefully uses his influence as the head of the world's second largest economy. After coming to power, he actively took up the implementation of market reforms and demonstrated open-mindedness. Compared to his predecessors, Xi leads a fairly open lifestyle, investing a lot of effort in the fight against corruption and building good relations with other powers - both in the West and in the East. From his October trip to the United States and Britain, the Chinese President brought back agreements worth a fantastic $46 billion.
6. Bill Gates
Founder of Microsoft
Age: 60
A country: USA
Family status: married, three children
This year has been decisive in many ways for one of the world's richest men. 40 years ago, Gates and his friend Paul Allen founded Microsoft with the goal of bringing computers to every home. Today, 84% of Americans have a computer at home. 15 years ago, Bill and Melinda Gates opened a charitable foundation that aims to eliminate social inequality, and have already invested more than $30 billion in it. In May, the Gates announced that their foundation would help those affected by the Ebola virus, and a month later Melinda announced that the fund will spend $776 million over the next six years to fight hunger.
7. Janet Yellen
Chairman of the Federal Reserve
Age: 69
A country: USA
Family status: married, one child
The first woman to head the world's top financial regulator has quickly gained the influence she lacked compared to her powerful predecessor, Ben Bernanke. Yellen's arrival as head of the Fed also coincided with the US economy emerging from the crisis, and now her task is to restore Americans' faith in the American dream. In October, the Federal Reserve announced its readiness to wind down the economic stimulus program, but promised to leave the refinancing rate at zero. The regulator under Yellen’s leadership already has $4.5 trillion in assets on its balance sheet—for comparison, American GDP is $16.8 trillion.
8. David Cameron
Prime Minister of Great Britain
Age: 49
A country: Great Britain
Family status: married, four children
Cameron was re-elected to his post in May this year. The Conservative Party leader is very active on Twitter, where he has 834,000 followers, and also enjoys taking selfies, most famously with US President Barack Obama at Nelson Mandela's funeral.
9. Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India
Age: 65
A country: India
Family status: married
In his first year in office, Narendra Modi increased the country's GDP by 7.4%, as well as his status in the international arena by holding meetings with Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. Modi's reforms have increased India's influence in the tech market, but to secure his position, he needs to reform the party and bring the opposition under control.
10. Larry Page
Founder of Google
Age: 42
A country: USA
In August 2015, Larry Page announced his intention to cede the post of Google CEO to the curator of the corporation's search business, Sundar Pichai, by the end of the year. The billionaire himself will move to the chair of CEO of the new holding company Alphabet, which will unite both the core business of the Internet giant and its innovative divisions, including Google X, Nest, Fiber, Calico, etc. Google announced the legal restructuring after its shares in July corporations soared to new historical records on the back of successes in mobile search, the development of YouTube and promises of additional investment in development. Previously, Page and the team launched Sidewalk Labs, an organization that will focus on urban planning and improving the mobile services industry. Larry founded Google in 1998 with fellow Stanford student Sergey Brin and served as the company's first CEO until 2001. He then took a ten-year break from product development and returned to the post of CEO in 2011. In October 2014, Pichai began participating in the operational management of the business, while Page focused on long-term strategic issues. The Google co-founder is known as one of the most committed proponents of alternative energy in Silicon Valley.
47. Igor Sechin
President of Rosneft
Age: 55
A country: Russia
Family status: married, one child
Although Igor Sechin is considered the right hand of the most powerful man in the world, this did not prevent him and the state-owned company Rosneft, which he heads, from falling under US visa and financial sanctions imposed after Russia's alleged military intervention in the Ukrainian conflict. “Putin trusts him like no one else,” says expert Mark Galeotti of New York University. “And if Putin trusts you, influence and money will always follow.”
54. Alexey Miller
Chairman of the Board of Gazprom
Age: 53
A country: Russia
Miller controls the main weapon of the Russian economy - the country's largest company, the gas monopolist Gazprom (revenue in 2014 - $146.6 billion). Since the early 1990s, he has been closely acquainted with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Unlike Igor Sechin, Miller saved himself and his company from participating in the sanctions war between Russia and the West.
57. Alisher Usmanov
Major shareholder of USM Holdings
Age: 62
A country: Russia
Family status: married
One of Russia's richest businessmen, Usmanov has skillfully diversified his portfolio of assets. He owns controlling shares in the metallurgical giant Metalloinvest, the second largest Russian mobile operator Megafon and the leading business weekly Kommersant. The billionaire, whose current fortune Forbes estimates at $13.9 billion, is also a member of the influential lobbying body, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. In 2013, he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree. Usmanov is one of the early investors in Facebook. In 2013, he sold off shares in the social network and focused on eastern Internet giants: online retailer Alibaba and smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, in which the businessman invested $500 million. He also owns a stake in the London football club Arsenal. 12% of Usmanov’s holding belongs to his business partners and key managers.
What does it mean to be famous? For example, Chesley Sullenberger got into second position in the ranking of the Top 100 most influential people of 2009 just for a successful emergency landing of a plane, as a result of which no one was injured. But time passes, and all these rating names are erased and dissolved behind millions of the same rating names. But there are ten people who are known in every part of the globe. They knew about them, they know about them and will continue to know about them. And we invite you to remember these ten people in the Top Greatest People of All Time. The names on the list are arranged in ascending order, from tenth to the most important, first place.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Sir Isaac Newton
If you were to rank people for a query on Google, then Albert Einstein would be in tenth place; in one month, the query “Albert Einstein” gets up to 6.1 million search queries. But much more books have been written about Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein is unlikely to ever be able to defeat him in this sense. Sir Isaac Newton discovered the Law of Attraction, coined the term “gravity,” invented the reflecting telescope, defeated the Roman Catholic Church with the rationale for geocentrism, and determined that every object in the Universe, even the smallest one, moves. In his spare time, Newton studied the principles of optics. He lived a long life and died at the age of 84.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Leonardo da Vinci
In the case of one of history's greatest men, Leonardo da Vinci, a Google search can be quite inaccurate. And if you enter only the name “Leonardo,” Google will return a bunch of links to Ninja Turtles and people who drowned on the Titanic. But if you type the full name of Leonardo da Vinci, you will immediately discover that he is known throughout the world. A man who could do anything. And all the books about him and his inventions are perhaps the largest and most interesting summary in the world. He was an engineer, inventor, anatomist, architect, mathematician, geologist, musician, cartographer, botanist, writer and sculptor. He invented a rifle, even if it didn’t immediately look like what we used to call a rifle, but Leonardo’s rifle could shoot at a distance of 1000 yards. He invented the parachute, 300 years before it was officially invented. He invented the hang glider, 400 years before its official invention. Leonardo's hang glider was based on the work of bird wings. He could imagine what a helicopter should be like, but he could not understand what kind of force it would have to be to lift such a structure into the air. He invented a tank, which was a structure driven by a crankshaft. The structure could move and shoot simultaneously and in different directions. He invented scissors by connecting two knives with a bolt.
Along with incredible inventions for his time, Leonardo was a magnificent artist and sculptor. The work “Mona Lisa” is a masterpiece of world portraiture, around which controversy continues to this day.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is a man whom we repeat every day, quoting and not even suspecting that it was he who came up with this phrase or expression. This is amazing, remember how often you say something like this: “all that glitters is not gold”, “a pitiful sight”, “food of the gods”, “all’s well that ends well”. It's all Shakespeare. And of course, the maestro’s most famous phrase: “to be or not to be.” Egil Aarvik, a spokesman for the Nobel Prize Committee, once said that Shakespeare would be the only person who could qualify for the Nobel Prize more than once.
Speaking about Shakespeare's work, we can say almost nothing unambiguously about him himself. About his life, about him as a person. We only know that he was a simple actor, and then suddenly he suddenly became the greatest playwright. This gives rise to an incredible amount of rumors about whether Shakespeare was Shakespeare.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Adolf Gitler
Everyone knows who Adolf Hitler is. We all know that this man is the root cause of World War II. He provoked the war for two main reasons, so to speak. First: become the most powerful man on Earth and in history, and rule the world. The second reason: to create as much pain as possible against all those whom he personally considered responsible for putting Germany into an insulting and humiliating position after the First World War.
Hitler was an excellent speaker, and he knew what his compatriots wanted to hear and knew that they felt the same feelings towards the offenders of Germany as he did himself. Consequently, it was not difficult at all to raise people to “great” achievements and conquests.
The Second World War was the hardest, bloodiest war in human history. It led to the greatest human losses. The estimated number of victims of World War II is 71 million. And Hitler is to blame for this. And during the war, he knew about it. He knew that all these victims were his victims, and he was glad about it. He was proud of it. Today, Hitler is on the same list as the “Devil” and “Satan” in the hearts and minds of people.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Apostle Paul of Tarsus
In sixth place in our ranking are the Greatest People of All Time. The top 10 is the Apostle Paul of Tarsus. The Apostle Paul is considered the most important person in the matter of spreading Christianity, its ideology and principles. The Apostle Paul is considered the most important Christian apologist.
The Apostle Paul is the most famous and revered apostle of all the disciples of Christ.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
It may surprise you, but most people who Google Buddha's name are not Buddhists. In the Western Hemisphere and throughout Europe, Buddhism is not as widespread as in the Eastern part - Nepal and India. It is known that Buddha was a mortal man who achieved nirvana and spiritual awakening at the age of 35. To achieve nirvana and spiritual knowledge, the Buddha sat in meditation for 49 days under a tree until he achieved knowledge of what needed to be done in order to end human suffering. Having learned the truth, the Buddha carried his teachings to people so that all those who do could be freed from torment in their lives. This path is called the Noble Eightfold Path, which consists of: right view, right intention, right concentration, right speech, right action, right lifestyle, right effort and right mindfulness. According to the teachings of Buddha, if you adhere to these simple rules, you can become a truly happy person, not dependent on anything.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Moses
Moses is revered by all the major modern religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He is the greatest prophet of the Supreme Testament, the liberator of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. Moses was a legislator, a judge, a man through whom the Lord conveyed his main 10 commandments.
According to legend, Moses was found as a baby in a basket floating on the Nile and was raised as the son of Pharaoh. There is no generally accurate information about Moses, except that he grew up in a noble Egyptian family, and one fine day he saw an Egyptian mocking his Jewish slave, killed the Egyptian and fled into the desert. Here, in the desert, God first appeared to Moses as a burning bush. This turning point inspired Moses, and he, inspired, went to Pharaoh to ask him to release all the Jews, otherwise the Lord would send such torment to the Egyptians that they would not be able to stand it. And so it happened. Pharaoh resisted, but the Lord showed his strength and sent unimaginable torment to the Egyptian people. Ultimately, Pharaoh was forced to release Moses along with all the Jews.
Moses led the Jews through the deserts for 40 years so that they would all be reborn from slavery, and here the Lord passed on his basic laws through Moses.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Abraham
Bronze in our ranking of The Greatest People of All Time. The top 10 is occupied by the Biblical Abraham. And this is no coincidence. Abraham is considered one of the first prophets of the Middle East, the first to preach one God. According to legend, God makes a covenant with Abraham because he was very pious and unshakable in his faith in God. This covenant is marked by circumcision. Before this, the Lord tested Abraham's faith, demanding that he kill his son Isaac, and Abraham had already raised a knife over his son when the Lord said that this was a test.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Mahomet
For non-Muslims, Mohammed founded Islam. For Muslims, Islam already existed, but Mohammed revived it in the hearts of people. Muslims believe that God transmitted through Mohammed the basic philosophical principles and revelations, which he wrote down in the main religious book of Muslims - the Koran.
Mohammed was born in Saudi Arabia and had 13 wives. Not a single accurate image of Mohammed has survived because he is considered the last prophet sent by Allah to teach people the basic path of peace and righteousness, and that he is too holy for all of us to see his face. During his life, Mohammed managed to unite the entire Middle East under the name of one God - Allah.
The greatest people of all time. Top 10. Jesus of Nazareth
It would be incomprehensible if the first place in the Greatest People of All Time Top 10 were taken by some other person. Naturally, this is Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ.
We all know the life story of Jesus, who was born to a virgin, died at the age of 33, that he was crucified on the cross, that he died and three days later was resurrected, ascended into heaven, into the abode of His Father, and now sits at the right hand of God.
Jesus Christ is accepted by all religions of the world; both believers and atheists know about him and his life. Perhaps some of the most primitive peoples and tribes living in the Amazon delta or in the impenetrable forests of Brazil do not know the name of Christ. The main book telling about the life and deeds of Christ is the Bible, the New Testament; we note that 25 million copies of the Bible are sold annually around the world.
So, even if you are not a believer, you will have to accept the fact that the most famous person around the world is Jesus of Nazareth.
If you are sure that you live modestly, do not own a business, are not involved in politics, and therefore the affairs of the powerful do not concern you, you are mistaken. There are always those on whom what happens in the world directly or indirectly depends.
We will talk about them - the most influential people of our time. Regular lists with them are compiled by Times and Forbes - perhaps the most authoritative publications in the United States. We will look only at the “top” and talk about the TOP 10 of the current list.
One of the few political leaders in India who enjoys huge support from the people. A clear confirmation of this is his re-election for a fourth term in a row. However, both in the country and abroad, many consider him a controversial person. On the one hand, he is a charismatic “millionaire from the slums”, a winner of UN and UNESCO awards, and on the other hand, he is one of the indirect culprits of the result of inter-religious clashes in Gujarat among Indian Muslims (more than a thousand people died then). The youngest influencer on this list was born in 1984 and has since managed to become the owner of one of the most valuable companies and the largest social network. The latter's history began with a modest website for Harvard students, and grew to become one of the five most visited online sites in the world. Mark Zuckerberg is a record holder in many respects. For example, he managed to become the youngest billionaire in history and one of the richest Americans. Like Bill Gates, he donates the lion's share of his fortune to charity - this is how he plans to dispose of 99% of Facebook shares.
It is not surprising that he was included in the list of the most influential people of our time - the famous saying says that “who owns the information, owns the world.” But it is Larry Page who directly influences what information we receive every day using the global Network.
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and philanthropist
This is one of those people thanks to whom computers became compact, humane (from the point of view of development) and accessible. For several years in a row, he topped the ranking of the world's richest people, and today, having retired from business, he focused his efforts on developing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In the latter, Bill Gates succeeded no less than in the computer field: Bill personally holds the record for the amount of funds donated to charity. For example, he sent 38% of his Microsoft shares to an unknown recipient. This donation could easily qualify as the largest since the beginning of the 21st century.
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church
His name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio and he is the 266th Pope. Over the past 1,200 years, he became the first non-European (born in Buenos Aires) to occupy this honorary chair. Despite the fact that in many Western countries the state is separated from religion, the Catholic faith continues to play an important role in the lives of ordinary residents, and both politicians and businessmen listen to the opinion of the head of the church. Pope Francis himself is a modest man with strong principles. In 2013, the year of his election, Time magazine named him “Person of the Year.”
Janet Yellen, head of the US Federal Reserve
She has headed the US Federal Reserve since 2014 and is the first woman to hold this post. To understand the importance of this government unit, it is necessary to know that it functions as the central bank of the country. Jeannette Yellen is not the only one in her family to receive a high title: her husband is a Nobel Prize laureate in economics, and she herself holds a Ph.D.
Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China
It is difficult to underestimate the influence of China on the global economy, so it is not surprising that the leader of this country is included in the list of the most influential people. What sets Xi Jinping apart from other political figures is his principled position on corruption, as well as his openness to reform. For the first time he was included in the hundred most influential people in the world (according to the Forbes ranking) back in 2009.
Merkel has repeatedly become a leader in ratings of the most influential female politicians, has numerous awards and was named “Woman of the Year” by the authoritative British publication Financial Times.
Donald Trump, US President
Donald Trump managed to take the presidency relatively recently, but even before this event he was well known in the world for his political and commercial activities. He is a versatile man, he is not only involved in business (he is the president of a construction conglomerate, the owner of a chain of gambling establishments and hotel complexes), but also worked as a TV presenter, regularly appearing at the head of it four times in a row. Apparently, every year the influence on world politics is only increasing. Forbes writes that “Putin continues to get what he wants.”
Indeed, he not only once again occupies the presidential chair in a country that consistently holds first place in the world in terms of territory and ninth in population, but also participates in foreign policy, and his actions are not always perceived unambiguously. By the way, Vladimir Putin is the only representative from Russia in our ranking.
The personal life of public politicians and media figures always attracts close attention from society and the press. Therefore, many of them try to protect themselves and their families from journalists and strictly limit information about this. The editors of the site invite you to read about the family life of Vladimir Putin.
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Who rules our world today? Who has influence on everything that happens on a global scale? The most influential people in the world - who are they? In our article we will answer this question by presenting assessments from two authoritative world publications.
Forbes magazine version: the most influential people in the world
In 2014, Forbes magazine included 72 people on its list. Among them are not only politicians and presidents, but also businessmen, social activists and celebrities. It is these 72 individuals, according to the publication, who are currently capable of turning the “wheel of history.”
Interestingly, in 2014, even criminals were included in the list of the most influential people in the world. Thus, 54th place in the ranking was taken by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the caliph recognized by the world community as terrorist.
Last year, Vladimir Putin appeared in Forbes, who, by the way, held the same position in 2013. According to the authoritative magazine, Vladimir Vladimirovich today occupies a significant place on the world stage. The Russian leader lost just one place to the president of another superpower, Barack Obama. Well, in the third place of honor is another ruler - Xi Jinping, the leader of the People's Republic of China.
It is interesting to note the fact that in 2014 the magazine included three more Russian citizens in its rating. They were Alexey Miller and Alisher Usmanov (42, 47 and 61 places, respectively).
The most influential people in the world from the Forbes list are of different ages. The oldest of them is the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the youngest is the odious leader of North Korea.
Below we invite you to familiarize yourself with the top ten ranking of the most influential people for 2014.
№ | Personality | Country and position |
1. | Putin Vladimir | Russia, President |
2. | Barack Obama | USA, President |
3. | Xi Jinping | China, Chairman of the Republic |
4. | Pope Francis | Vatican, religious figure |
5. | Angela Merkel | Germany, Chancellor |
6. | Jeannette Yellen | USA, economist |
7. | Bill Gates | USA, businessman |
8. | Mario Draghi | Italy, President of the European Central Bank |
9. | Larry Page | USA, Google |
10. | David Cameron | Great Britain, Prime Minister |
Forbes magazine rating: evaluation criteria
Forbes magazine is a well-known and authoritative global publication on financial and economic topics. It traces its history back to 1917. Named after its founder, Bertie Charles Forbes. The publication's main office is located in the heart of New York - on Fifth Avenue.
Forbes magazine selected personalities for its “most influential” ranking based on four main criteria, namely:
- the total number of people under the influence of a particular person;
- resources (primarily material) that the nominee has at his disposal at a given time;
- positions that the nominee occupies in a specific (his) field of activity.
In addition, regarding those in power, journalists and analysts of the publication included in the rating only those representatives who actively used the power granted to them.
Time magazine version: the most influential people in the world
Another well-known publication annually publishes its list of the most influential personalities. This is another American magazine - Time. Every year it presents its 100 most influential people to the public (since 1999).
An interesting feature of this magazine is that it does not rank its list from position one to one hundredth. Last year, the Time-100 list included people from various spheres of public life. These are politicians, religious leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, athletes and creative individuals.
Just like Forbes magazine, Time included in its hundred the main players in the geopolitical arena of the world: Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Xi Jinping. Pope Francis also appears on the Time 100 list for 2014. But a peculiar highlight of Time magazine can be considered the presence in its list of pop singer Beyonce, as well as Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo. Why not? These people also have a very strong influence on the world, however, they do it with the help of a microphone and a soccer ball.
"Time-100": some statistics
The most influential people in the world are selected by Time with the help of a special commission consisting of scientists and professional analysts. In this case, all selected personalities are divided into five groups. This:
- Leaders and revolutionaries.
- Tycoons.
- Cultural figures.
- Scientists.
- Idols and heroes.
This may explain the presence of a significant number of musicians, athletes, writers or artists in the Time 100 ratings. In turn, Forbes magazine concentrates more on the economic and political spheres of life in world society. However, we all know very well that one book written by a brilliant person can influence the world much more than dozens of politicians, presidents and prime ministers.
Among the famous and influential personalities most often included in the Time 100 list: Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, and Bill Gates.
Vladimir Putin: short biography
For several years in a row, the President of Russia has not left the list of the most influential people on the planet.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is Russian, born in 1952 in Leningrad. He received his education in the same city, graduating from the Faculty of Law of Leningrad State University. During his life, he has already worked as the head of the Russian FSB, the Chairman of the Government, and also the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. In May 2012, he sat in the chair of the President of the country for the third time.
It is known that Putin is a fan of fishing, bikes and the works of Rudyard Kipling. He is also a master of sports in judo and sambo. Stands confidently on skates and alpine skis.
Barack Obama: short biography
Barack Obama is best known for being the first black president of the United States. He is serving his second term in this post.
Barack Obama was born in 1961 on the sunny island of Oahu, in the city of Honolulu. He has two higher educations (Columbia and a lawyer by profession. In 2005 he became a senator from the state of Illinois. This event can be considered the beginning of Obama’s stellar political career.
Pope Francis
Francis is the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years. He was elected to this important post in 2013.
Born in the capital of Argentina into a poor family of railway workers (in 1936). By education, he is a chemical technologist. It is curious that in his youth the future dad worked as a simple cleaner and also as a “bouncer” in nightclubs in Buenos Aires. Francis' career as a priest began only in the late 60s.
Pope Francis is best known for his rather progressive views on life. Thus, he distinguished himself by sharply criticizing those who do not want to baptize illegitimate babies.
Finally
The most influential people are those individuals who set the tone in world geopolitics, culture, and economics. We reviewed two ratings of the most influential personalities on the planet from authoritative world publications - Forbes and Time magazines. To agree or disagree with them is a personal matter for everyone. However, it is worth remembering that “influential” does not always mean “most influential”. Therefore, you need to treat such ratings with some skepticism.
The other day, a new ranking of the most influential and significant people in the world based on the results of 2013 was published. The list included 72 political, economic, business and public figures, and at the top of the rating was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who displaced US President Barack Obama to second place :) Let's look and read further.
1. Vladimir Putin
Who: President of Russia
Source of influence: Russia
Industry: politics
Age: 61
The rise of the Russian leader to the top of the Forbes influence rating was facilitated by both the process of “tightening the screws” within the country and his successes in the diplomatic arena.
In particular, Putin proposed a compromise solution to the Syrian problem that suited all parties and relieved tension in the conflict, which almost escalated into a full-scale war. In addition, the Russian President granted political asylum to ex-CIA employee Edward Snowden, whose high-profile revelations became not only a headache for American intelligence services, but also a problem for other states, whose diplomats the fugitive programmer turned to for support.
The world's largest nuclear arsenal, a voice in the UN Security Council and record hydrocarbon deposits remain under Putin's control. The leader of the rating has at least five more years of absolute power left, and could potentially rule Russia until 2024.
2. Barack Obama
Who: US President
Source of influence: USA
Industry: politics
Age: 52
The American leader lost first place in the rating to his Russian colleague amid numerous squabbles in US domestic politics.
Obama was never able to convince Congress of the need to implement health insurance reform according to his plan, which ultimately led the country to a dead end: in early October, US government agencies had to close for 16 days due to the inability of politicians to find consensus on the budget and the national debt ceiling. An equally sensitive blow to Obama’s reputation was the revelations of Edward Snowden, which put the head of state in the position of an eternally justifying person.
And yet, even as he enters a second term and the attendant suspicions of becoming a lame duck, Obama remains the leader of the most powerful political, economic and military nation in the world.
3. Xi Jinping
Who: Chairman of the People's Republic of China
Source of influence: China
Industry: politics
Age: 60
The new Chinese leader in 2012 officially took the helm of the second most influential world power with a population of 1.3 billion people, which is almost 20% of the entire planet's population. China under Xi remains the largest holder of American foreign debt - the Celestial Empire owns US Treasury receipts worth $1.3 billion. Rapid economic growth continues: over 10 years, the number of official billionaires in China has increased from zero to 122, and GDP has reached $8.2 trillion. In addition to the post of Chairman of the People's Republic of China, Xi is the Secretary General of the Communist Party and the head of the country's military forces.
4. Pope Francis
Who: Pope
Source of influence: Roman Catholic Church
Industry: religion
Age: 76
Francis succeeded Benedict XVI as head of the Roman Church in March 2013. His mission is to breathe new energy into an institution that brings together 1.2 billion people around the world.
The first Jesuit pope and the first pope born in Latin America has already made a number of reformist statements, from calling for gender equality to reducing the degree of critical rhetoric against supporters of abortion, gay marriage and contraception. Francis, or Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the world, uses social media, preaches on Twitter and even, in accordance with the spirit of the times, takes selfies - self-portraits for social networks.
He comes from a large family of Italian immigrants who settled in Buenos Aires. The Pope is known as a passionate fan of the San Lorenzo de Almagro football club.
5. Angela Merkel
Who: Chancellor of Germany
Source of influence: Germany
Industry: politics
Age: 59
The most powerful woman in the world remains a key figure in solving the political and economic problems of the European Union.
Merkel's commitment to a tough line of austerity and maintaining the euro as a single currency has greatly helped the EU survive as an integration entity, despite the crisis in the southern economies of the Old World and persistent calls for a reverse disintegration from the North.
Recently, the “Iron Chancellor” was re-elected to the post she has held continuously since 2005 without any apparent problems. In Forbes' ranking of the world's most powerful women, Merkel has climbed to the top 8 times over the past 10 years.
6. Bill Gates
Who: Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Source of influence: Microsoft, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Industry: business, philanthropy
Age: 58
With a net worth of $72 billion, Gates recently regained his status as the richest person in the world according to Forbes. The Microsoft founder himself spends most of his time working on a charitable foundation, which he manages together with his wife Melinda.
As a philanthropist, he has already spent $28 billion. Gates's most recent major philanthropic endeavors include April's $335 million polio program, which was joined by six other billionaires with $100 million in contributions, including Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Microsoft shares have been growing since the end of August, when the software giant announced the resignation of Steve Ballmer from the post of CEO. Gates remains chairman of the company he co-founded with Paul Allen in 1975.
Together with Warren Buffett, Gates continues to recruit participants for the Giving Pledge initiative, in which billionaires make a public pledge to donate at least 50% of their wealth to charitable causes.
7. Ben Bernanke
Who: Fed Chairman
Source of influence: Fed
Industry: economics
Age: 59
"Big Ben" is preparing to leave the world's most powerful economic post on January 31, 2014. The name of his successor has recently become known - Janet Yellen will lead the Federal Reserve next year. During his tenure, Bernanke became a living symbol of the fight against the consequences of the global crisis. The former Princeton professor became the main lobbyist for the policy of soft economic stimulation and ensured, albeit modest, but still stable rates of US GDP growth.
8. Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud
Who: King of Saudi Arabia
Source of influence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: politics
Age: 89
The Saudi monarch's influence comes not only from his high authority in the Muslim world, but also from his control over 20% of the world's oil reserves (265 million barrels). GDP growth to $727 billion allowed the kingdom to enter the top 20 global economies. At the same time, the unemployment rate in the country remains at 12%, and 50% of the population is under 25 years of age. King Abdullah recently allocated $130 billion for youth employment and housing programs.
9. Mario Draghi
Who: Chairman of the European Central Bank
Source of influence: ECB
Industry: economics
Age: 66
“Super Mario” did not get the most comfortable position in modern economic realities. He has become the face of the troubled eurozone economy, with a combined GDP of $17 trillion. Draghi has to make investors optimistic every time and maneuver between the interests of states that are so different by all criteria, such as Greece and Germany. And so far he is coping with this paradoxical task.
Who: CEOWho is Wal-Mart Stores
Source of influence: Wal-Mart Stores
Industry: business
Age: 63
The head of the world's largest retailer with revenues of $470 billion and the world's second largest employer with 2.2 million employees could not help but enter the top 10 most influential people. Duke, as the CEO of Wal-Mart, can decide the fate of a product with one signature, simply by removing it from the shelf or putting it there. In the fall, he, as part of a delegation of 20 CEOs of the largest American companies, visited Washington, where he tried to convince President Obama of the need to quickly resolve the budget impasse.
11. David Cameron
Who: British Prime Minister
Source of influence: Great Britain
Industry: politics
Age: 47
The Tory leader presides over the world's sixth-largest economy and has often drawn comparisons to Margaret Thatcher for his commitment to fiscal austerity. True, Cameron got it for his populist proposal to cut the electricity tax for households. The Oxford graduate and distant relative of King William IV is known as a vocal critic of Edward Snowden. In two years, Cameron will have to lead the Conservatives into new elections.
12. Carlos Slim
Who: Chairman of the Honorary Charitable Foundation
Source of influence: America Movil
Industry: business, philanthropy
Age: 73
The Mexican telecommunications tycoon displaced Bill Gates as the world's richest man for several years, but this year he again lost the palm to the American. Slim's business empire includes assets in mining, development and media (in The New York Times). In 2012, the billionaire acquired three football clubs at once - two in his native Mexico and one in Spain. In February 2013, Slim joined Gates' initiative to fight hunger and support innovative farming technology.
13. Warren Buffett
Who: CEOWho is Berkshire Hathaway
Source of influence: Berkshire Hathaway
Industry: business, philanthropy
Age: 83
The “Oracle of Omaha,” despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer and advanced age, does not let go of the operational management of his business empire. His fortune has grown by almost $20 billion in a year, to $53.5 billion, and Buffett has not lost his taste for big deals. In June, Berkshire Hathaway launched a takeover of the legendary ketchup manufacturer Heinz for $23.2 billion, and before that acquired energy company NV Energy for $5.6 billion in cash. The investor continues to actively participate in charity: in July, he sent another $2 billion in Berkshire shares to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Collectively, Buffett’s philanthropic initiatives have already reached the $20 billion mark.
14. Li Keqiang
Who: Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
Source of influence: China
Industry: politics
Age: 58
The second-largest politician in China after Xi Jinping, Li, despite his loyalty to the communist ideals of the party, is known as a champion of economic liberalism. He was one of the lobbyists for a World Bank report that called on the Middle Kingdom to accelerate reforms in the opposite direction to state capitalism.
15. Jeff Bezos
Who: CEOWho r Amazon.com
Source of influence: Amazon.com
Industry: business, technology
Age: 49
Bezos has rapidly emerged as one of the world's most influential businessmen with the rapid growth of the online retailer he founded. Amazon, with annual sales of $61 billion, has expanded its reach into technology, fashion, streaming video and traditional media. In the summer, Bezos acquired The Washington Post holding for $250 million.
16. Rex Tillerson
Who: CEOWho is Exxon Mobil
Source of influence: ExxonMobil
Industry: business
Age: 61
The head of the largest US oil and gas corporation led Exxon to a phenomenal result of $44.9 billion in profit last year. The company remains the world's largest publicly traded oil and gas producer and operates on six continents. Tillerson is considered one of the most influential and effective lobbyists in the industry.
17. Sergey Brin
Who: co-founder, head of special projects at Google
Source of influence: Google
Industry: business, technology
Age: 40
The co-founders of Google have been working harmoniously and effectively in tandem for more than a decade. While Page exercises operational control over the entire search giant, Brin is focused on the corporation's most innovative devices within the Google X division. We are talking about the projects of Google Glass “augmented reality” glasses and a self-driving car. Along with Page, Brin has donated $400 million to charity this year.
18. Larry Page
Who: co-founder, CEOWho is Google
Source of influence: Google
Industry: business, technology
Age: 40
Page is in charge of the world's most popular website with a monthly audience of 1 billion users, a corporation with $50 billion in revenue and a rapidly growing business. Google's CEO is responsible for numerous M&A deals, such as the purchase of crowdsourcing app Waze for $1 billion and the acquisition of Motorola's mobile division for $12.5 billion. Both 40-year-old Google co-founders are worth about $25 billion.
19. Francois Hollande
Who: French President
Source of influence: France
Industry: politics
Age: 59
Hollande became France's first Socialist president in two decades and was immediately confronted with the financial problems facing Europe's second-largest economy. His popularity rating dropped to 23% in October amid bungling in a high-profile scandal over migrant deportations. This is the lowest electoral figure for a French president in the last 20 years - even lower than that of Hollande's unpopular predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy. Recently, the head of state criticized his American colleague Barack Obama for the facts that US intelligence services wiretapped the telephone conversations of millions of French people (in just one month, 70 calls and SMS messages were listened to and viewed).
20. Timothy Cook
Who: CEOWho r Apple
Source of influence: Apple
Industry: business, technology
Age: 52
Apple is not only the most valuable company in the world, but also an unrivaled authority in the design and technology industries, in the film and music business, in media and telecommunications. This year, at Cook's request, his bonus will be linked to the company's stock performance. In 2012, Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs' successor, earned $4.2 million.
53. Dmitry Medvedev
Who: Prime Minister of Russia
Source of influence: Russia
Industry: politics
Age: 48
The head of the Russian government, despite serious reputational losses after the reverse castling with Vladimir Putin, remains the second most influential figure in the domestic power vertical. However, the chances that the current president of the country will decide to entrust all the threads of control to his younger comrade for the second time are negligible.
60. Igor Sechin
Who: President, Chairman of the Board of Rosneft
Source of influence: "Rosneft"
Industry: business
Age: 53
Vladimir Putin's loyal ally has returned to the Forbes ranking after a year of absence. He did not join the government of Dmitry Medvedev and maintained tense relations with the current prime minister. But in the status of the head of Rosneft, the former curator of the fuel and energy complex in the Cabinet of Ministers initiated the “deal of the century” to absorb TNK-BP worth $56 billion. Soon Sechin will officially become the head of the largest public oil company in the world in terms of production. At the same time, he maintains close relations with the first person of the state, which in Russian realities remains the main resource of administrative weight.
63. Alisher Usmanov
Who: General DirectorWho is Gazprominvestholding
Source of influence: USM Holdings