Every year, various magazines publish ratings, including people, animals, various companies, cars, etc. The main source of such ratings is the analytical magazine Forbes, which is known all over the world for its unique articles.
Currently known most influential people in the world 2015 years, who, thanks to their reputation, knowledge and authority, occupy relevant positions. The activities of entire states, companies or communities depend on their decisions.
10. Larry Page
As a student, he met his future colleague Sergei Brin. We began working together to create a search system and in 1998 officially launched the Google service. Despite his age of 42, he still ranks high among the most influential people in the world in 2015.
9.
Journalists placed Liliane Bettencourt, who is the owner of the L'Oreal company, in ninth position. Despite her age, over the years she managed to become the richest and most influential woman. At the moment, it owns assets with a total value of $45 billion. Lillian lost her mother at the age of five and gradually became closer to her father, starting to work as his student.
When her father died, she became the sole owner of the famous L'Oreal company. Over the many years of her activity, she was remembered not only as an entrepreneur, but also as a philanthropist. Lilian is also constantly in the spotlight, the reason for which is her participation in scandalous stories. One of these scandals is non-payment of taxes, as well as bribery of high-ranking officials. From time to time he is a participant in ongoing proceedings in court with the heirs.
8.
Among the most influential people in the world in 2015, Forbes ranked Christine Lagarde in eighth position. For the last five years he has been working as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. Her unique talent allowed her to develop among men and become the best. He spent his youth actively practicing synchronized swimming and achieving high results.
Has two educations. After studying, she began working at Bakerand McKenzie, where she worked for 25 years, gaining invaluable experience. Later she became the head of the company, and she is the first woman to be a leader. Two years under her leadership allowed the company’s net profit to double, and Kristin personally was included in the ranking of the most successful women in Europe. Before joining the IMF, she worked in the French government as a minister.
7.
Regardless of position, Bill Gates is guaranteed to be included in the ranking of the most influential people in the world in 2015-2016. A person who has been a leader in wealth for many years in a row and tops the ranking will undoubtedly have influence and reputation. His company Microsoft brought its founder a total fortune of $81 billion.
In addition to wealth rankings, Bill Gates is consistently included in the lists of the best and most generous philanthropists. The total amount spent on charity by the Gates family in the last year is 25 billion. These figures allow them to win high positions in various ratings.
6.
Currently, Mario Draghi is the Chairman of the European Central Bank. Over many years of his career, he constantly faced difficulties proposing unpopular ideas for reform. In the context of the European Union, these reforms are not always necessary, but their proposal allows us to say a lot about the universal principles of Mario Draghi.
5.
For many years in a row, Angela Merkel has been one of the main and undoubtedly most influential figures in world politics. In the entire history of Germany, she became the first woman to receive the position of chancellor. At the end of the 80s, she began to actively engage in politics. After some time, she worked in ministerial positions in various departments.
After receiving the position of chancellor, she always had a high level of trust from ordinary Germans and at the best moments it reached 80%. Also, after Merkel’s arrival, close cooperation with the United States of America began. Before the crisis in 2014, good relations were constantly maintained with the government of the Russian Federation.
4.
Journalists put Pope Francis in fourth place. He has repeatedly been included in lists along with other most influential people in the world. While holding the post of cardinal, Francis showed unpretentiousness and asceticism in life. Without hesitation, he refused various privileges, creating for himself the image of a modest and at the same time not demanding person. Three years ago he received the post of Pope.
He previously said that God is not a magician and this surprised the public. Pope Francis is also the first high-ranking cleric to accept the Big Bang theory and also fully agree with Darwin on his theory of evolution. Despite this, he is still respected, and Forbes magazine consistently places him in various ratings.
3.
The top three is opened by Xi Jinping, the leader of the People's Republic of China. He has earned respect, popularity and a good reputation within his country. Many Chinese residents highly appreciate his achievements as head of state. The basis of his policy is the creation of a superpower. The PRC has all the resources and capabilities for this.
Xi Jinping achieved enormous influence thanks to the right policies in the international arena. Maintains good relations with Western countries, the Asian region and Russia for many years. In some difficult political or military situations, the leader of the PRC acts on the neutral side.
2. Barack Obama
Second place went to the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. For many years he was the person with the strongest influence in both domestic and foreign policy, but is gradually losing ground. Experts say that while Barack Obama has unique opportunities to influence entire countries, he is not using them to the fullest.
In recent years, there have been many contradictory decisions in the politics of the US leader, which are also the reason for the loss of leadership.
1. Vladimir Putin
The most influential person in the world in 2015 is Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Compared to last year, the Russian President maintained his position. Also, one of the magazines held a vote on which of the most influential people had the greatest impact on the lives of people and the world as a whole. The President of Russia won this vote, thanks to his policies both within the country and in the international arena.
Constant activity within the framework of changing the international system, with the so-called “unipolar world” and helping other states in resolving conflicts, including military ones, makes him a political leader worthy of deep respect. Sanctions, as well as the global isolation of Russia, are causing Vladimir Putin to change his policy in order to avoid or smooth out problems arising in the country. Despite everything, the percentage of citizens' trust in their president is as high as ever. A particularly important point is his adherence to principles in resolving critical issues, even under pressure from external factors.
About seven and a half billion people live on planet Earth. Despite this, a small percentage of all residents can boast that it is known throughout the planet. The activity of this privileged group determines all events and everything that happens in the world.
10 Mark Zuckerberg
The person who opens the list of the most influential people in the world is also the youngest representative - the founder of the social network Facebook - Mark Zuckerberg. Now Mark is 32 years old, almost twice as old as all the other candidates in this ranking. This year, the young billionaire managed to make a simply crazy career leap - he jumped from the end of the second ten in the Forbes ranking to the first. His current fortune amounts to more than $50 billion. This is taking into account the fact that the Zuckerbergs constantly donate funds to charity. Thus, Mark and his wife Priscilla Chan previously promised an investment of $3 billion for a good cause - the fight and complete eradication of all diseases on the planet by the end of the 21st century.
9 Narendra Modi
Ninth place was taken by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. And the popularity of the politician increases every year, especially among Indians. At the same time, the attitude of citizens towards the politician did not change even after the difficult and unexpected monetary reform, which was organized in connection with the course to combat corruption. The Prime Minister issued a decree last fall to cancel India's highest denomination currency notes.
8 Larry Page
The next place on the list is occupied by Larry Page - this gentleman is one of the developers of the most popular search engine Google. A year ago the company went through a reorganization process. At the moment, Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Corporation, and Larry Page holds the post of Chairman of the Board.
7 Billy Gates
A higher position in this top is occupied by a much more promoted and popular character in the world media - Billy Gates. This is a man whose fortune reaches more than 80 billion dollars, in other words, “chickens don’t eat money.” Billy’s very symbolic idea is to build a real chicken coop in one of the New York high-rises. A logical question may arise - “why”? The thing is that the billionaire really loves chickens in any form; he believes that thanks to such poultry, many people in Africa will be able to get rid of poverty.
6 Janet Yellen
Janet Yellen was almost in the middle of the list. This is the chief economist of the United States, as well as the head of the Federal Reserve System of America. Janet closely monitors the performance of all banking and financial institutions. It is also curious that Mrs. Yellen has enormous popularity among Americans. And they love and respect her for her simplicity, intelligence, openness, as well as her ability to clearly and clearly express her thoughts.
5 Pope Francis
In fifth place in the ranking of the most influential people on a global scale is the only representative of the sphere of religion - the current head of the Vatican. And this is the most mature representative of the rating. Last year Pope Francis turned 80! However, despite his rather advanced age, the pontiff radiates strength, vital energy, which is more than enough to inspire and inspire his many parishioners to do good and good deeds, as well as to lead a righteous life.
4 Xi Jinping
Fourth place went to Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China. In 2012, immediately after his election as head of state, the politician began reforms aimed at a tough and uncompromising fight against corruption. He has extraordinary popularity among his people. And first of all, this is due to the openness of the politician. For example, there was a case when the press published a report about an ordinary working day in the life of Xi Jinping. Nothing like this has ever happened in China before!
3 Angela Merkel
Absolutely unexpectedly, the top three is opened by Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. For all his ambiguity, this is a very bright figure in the modern political arena. Despite the significant disappointments of German citizens, according to Forbes, Merkel is the last liberal politician who can give a tough rebuff to the progressive influence of the Russian Federation in the West. Last year, 2017, the German chancellor faced a huge number of problems: she had to sort out the results of Brexit and the growing unrest in the European Union, and solve the situation with the crowds of migrants who poured into Germany. Parliamentary elections are planned for 2019, the results of which will make it clear whether Germans still show confidence in Angela’s decisions, as well as in the party she leads.
2 Donald Trump
The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, took a well-deserved second place. This is the first time a billionaire has become the president of an overseas superpower. According to research results, representatives of the middle and upper classes of America, who so value liberalism, feel some embarrassment for their country's leader. Most of the complaints concern not Trump himself, but his family – his wife and children. However, he himself often appears at the epicenter of discussions!
1 Vladimir Putin
It probably doesn’t surprise anyone that the top 10 most influential people in the world in 2019, the most influential person on the planet in 2019, the President of the Russian Federation, is Vladimir Putin. If you believe the rumors, the head of Russia is capable of anything: he can influence the course of hostilities in Syria and organize “sabotage” in the United States! It’s not for nothing that they say that Donald Trump is a Kremlin secret agent. And then suddenly information comes out that, on the “order” of Vladimir Putin, Russian hackers invaded the process of choosing the new head of the White House... Naturally, both Putin and Trump completely deny any political intrigues against each other, but who will believe them!
Forbes on Wednesday unveiled a new ranking of the world's most powerful people. The list includes 72 political, economic, business and public figures - one per 100 million people on the planet. The rating was topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 61-year-old politician displaced his American colleague Barack Obama from the first place. Chinese President Xi Jinping rounded out the top three. Read more about the most influential people in the world according to Forbes.
The rating is based on the subjective choice of the American editors of the magazine. The criteria for influence include such indicators as the number of people affected by the decisions of the rating participant, the financial flows that the rating participant controls as an administrator, manager or owner, and the activity with which the rating participant uses his power.
1. Vladimir Putin
Who: President of Russia
influences: 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
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
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
influences: 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
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
influences: 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 rising since late August, when the software giant announced Steve Ballmer's resignation as CEO. Gates remains chairman of the board of directors at 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
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
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
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.
10. Michael Duke
Who: CEO of Wal-Mart Stores
influences: 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
influences: UK
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
influences: América 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: CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
influences: Berkshire Hathaway
Industry: business, philanthropy
Age: 83
“The Oracle of Omaha,” despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer and his 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
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: CEO of Amazon.com
influences: 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: Exxon Mobil CEO
influences: Exxon Mobil
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
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, CEO of Google
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. The Google CEO is responsible for numerous M&A deals, such as the purchase of the crowdsourcing application 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
influences: 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: Apple CEO
influences: 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, the Apple CEO, Steve Jobs' successor, earned $4.2 million.
53. Dmitry Medvedev
Who: Prime Minister of Russia
influences: 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
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 Director of Gazprominvestholding
influences: USM Holdings
Industry: business
Age: 60
Russia's richest man made his $17.6 billion fortune in metals, but in recent years has diversified his business, acquiring assets in telecommunications (Megafon), media (Kommersant Publishing House) and technology (Mail.ru Group). He also owns a stake in London football club Arsenal.
The world's population is almost 7.1 billion people. In this article we will highlight only 10 of them who have the greatest influence in the world (at the time of publication). One way or another, they all ended up on Forbes lists as some of the most influential people in the world.
Let's discard the theory of secret societies, unknown "puppeteers", let's see which of the officials - government leaders, corporate executives, financiers and philanthropists really rule the world?
*The ages and positions of all persons are indicated at the time of publication of the material.
✰ ✰ ✰
David Cameron. Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Age: 48 years old.
David Cameron has headed the UK Parliament since 2010. In fact, he is the first person of the state.
Recently, two poles of power have emerged in a united Europe, the first is, of course, Germany with its new iron lady Angela Merkel, the second is Great Britain, which does not want to dance to Germany’s tune at all.
Cameron has already rejected Germany's call for an increase in the EU budget and has threatened to veto it if such legislation is passed. And it is quite possible that Cameron would have been a more vibrant and influential player on the world stage if he had not had to deal with a host of problems at home, such as a persistent economic decline, a dissatisfied electorate, and problems within his own party.
✰ ✰ ✰
Janet Yellen. Chairman of the US Federal Reserve.
Age: 68 years old.
The Federal Reserve System is an independent US agency that serves as the country's central bank. It can only submit to the US Congress, but most of its actions still remain under its own control. The Fed is a rather subtle and influential organization that can directly influence the entire US financial system, and indirectly the entire world economy as a whole.
The Chairman of the Federal Reserve has broad powers in the organization under his control, which means he has great influence on the economy of the United States and the rest of the world. Janet Yellen has headed the US Federal Reserve since February 2014 and has already managed to solve several important problems while sitting in the chair.
✰ ✰ ✰
Pope Francis. Head of the Catholic Church.
Age: 78 years old.
According to the doctrine of papal sovereignty, the pope has "supreme, complete, unquestioned and universal power" over the souls of 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide.
People turn to the pope to help solve many pressing problems of Catholics, such as birth control, attitudes towards abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia and others.
✰ ✰ ✰
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud. King of Saudi Arabia.
Age: 90 years old.
In 2008, Parade magazine (USA) included him in the top list of the most brutal dictators of our time. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud, the absolute monarch of Saudi Arabia, controls territory with 20 percent of the world's proven oil reserves.
It is by the will of this person that the world oil market can collapse, which may have happened at the end of 2014 - beginning of 2015.
*** Tragically, on the very day the article was published, January 23, 2015, the King of Saudi Arabia died.
✰ ✰ ✰
Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Founders of Google.
Age: 41 years each.
These two friends, who met back in the mid-90s, are two of the most influential people in the world. They were the ones who created Google from scratch in 1998. Today, Google Ink is not just a search engine, it is the world's largest transnational corporation that invests huge amounts of money in the development of the Internet and other technologies.
Google Ink sites are the most popular sites in the world, with approximately 1 billion people visiting them in one month. Many people simply cannot live without Google, because this giant occupies many areas of our everyday and public life. Various applications and sites from Google, such as YouTube, Blogger, Google Maps, are indispensable for many millions of people.
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.