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 the assessments of two reputable world publications.
Forbes version of the most powerful people in the world
One of the most authoritative business magazines on the planet has recently presented its traditional list of "the powers that be". Who are they - the most influential people in the world? Forbes managed to answer this difficult question.
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, that 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. So, the 54th line in the ranking was taken by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Caliph of the Islamic State, recognized by the world community as a terrorist.
At the head of the Forbes rating last year was Vladimir Putin, 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 president of another superpower, Barack Obama, lost just one line to the Russian leader. Well, in the third place of honor is another ruler - Xi Jinping, the leader of the PRC.
It is interesting to note that in 2014 the magazine included three more Russian citizens in its rating. They were Igor Sechin, Alexey Miller and Alisher Usmanov (42, 47 and 61 respectively).
The most influential people in the world from the Forbes list - of different ages. The oldest of them is the king of Saudi Arabia - Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the "youngest" is the odious Kim Jong-un - the 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. | Jannet 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 | UK Prime Minister |
Forbes magazine rating: evaluation criteria
Forbes magazine is a well-known and authoritative world edition of financial and economic topics. It traces its history back to 1917. Named after its founder, Bertie Charles Forbes. The main office of the publication is located in the heart of New York - on Fifth Avenue.
Forbes magazine chose personalities for its "most influential" rating according to four main criteria, namely:
- total number of people influenced by a particular person;
- resources (primarily material) that the nominee has at the moment;
- positions that the nominee occupies in a specific (own) 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's version of the world's most influential people
Another well-known publication annually publishes its list of the most influential personalities. This is another American magazine -"Half". Every year, he presents his 100 most influential personalities to the public (since 1999).
An interesting feature of this magazine is that it does not rank its list from first to hundredth positions. Last year, the Time-100 list included people from various walks of life. These are politicians, religious leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, athletes and artists.
Just like Forbes magazine, Time has included Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Xi Jinping in its top 100 of the world's geopolitical arena. Pope Francis is also on the Time 100 list for 2014. But the presence of the pop singer Beyonce, as well as the Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo, can be considered a peculiar highlight of Time magazine. Why not? These people also have a very strong impact on the world, however, they do it with a microphone and a soccer ball.
"Time-100": some statistics
The world's most influential people are chosen by Time through a panel of scientists and professional analysts. In this case, all selected personalities are divided into five groups. This is:
- Leaders and revolutionaries.
- Magnates.
- Cultural figures.
- Scientists.
- Idols and heroes.
This is exactly what can explain the presence in the "Time 100" ratings of a significant number of musicians,athletes, writers or artists. In turn, Forbes magazine focuses more on the economic and political spheres of world society. However, we all know perfectly well that one book written by a brilliant person can influence the world much more than dozens of politicians, presidents and prime ministers.
Among well-known and influential personalities, the most frequently included in the "Time 100" list: Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
Vladimir Putin: short biography
The President of Russia has been on the list of the most influential people on the planet for several years in a row.
Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich - Russian, born in 1952 in Leningrad. In the same city he received his education, 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, for the third time, he sat in the chair of the President of the country.
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 skis.
Barack Obama: Brief Biography
Barack Obama is best known for being the first black president of the United States. This is his second term in this post.
Barack Obama was born in 1961 on the sunny island of Oahu, in the cityHonolulu. He has two higher educations (Columbia and Harvard University). By profession - a lawyer. In 2005, he became a senator from Illinois. This event can be considered the beginning of Obama's stellar political career.
Barack has a wife (Michelle) and two daughters. The current US President is also the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (for 2009).
Pope Francis
Francis is the first non-European pope in over 1,000 years. He was elected to this important post in 2013.
Born in the capital of Argentina in a poor family of railway workers (in 1936). By education - chemical engineer. It is curious that in his youth, the future dad worked as a simple cleaner, as well as a "bouncer" in nightclubs in Buenos Aires. Francis began his career as a priest only in the late 60s.
Pope Francis is best known for his rather progressive outlook on life. So, he distinguished himself by sharp criticism towards those Catholic priests who do not want to baptize illegitimate babies.
In closing
The most influential people are those individuals who set the tone for global 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 already a personal matter for everyone. However, it is worth remembering that "influential" does not always mean "the most influential." Therefore, treat suchratings need some skepticism.
