The world's population is growing daily, and we have already reached the mark of 7 billion. However, not everyone can boast of being able to change the course of history. On our planet, only a small percentage of such people are a kind of elite, people who have reached unprecedented heights and are "at the helm" of world development.
The authoritative publication Forbes constantly makes a selection of the most influential people on the planet. Participants are selected based on a pivot table. Surprisingly, the selection conditions are very simple: applicants are compared by the number of people who are subject to them and popularity.
The most influential people in the world for 2017, according to Forbes:
Mark Zuckerberg
The last place is occupied by Mark Zuckerberg. He is the youngest representative of this rating. The founder of Facebook is only 32 years old, and he has already reached unprecedented heights. He is also the youngest member of the TOP 10 richest people in the world.
Surprisingly, it is almost twice as young as its main competitors. This year, the billionaire has significantly improved his position and has confidently entered the top ten since the end of the twenty.
At the moment, his fortune is estimated at 59 billion dollars. However, the young businessman does not suffer from star fever at all and leads a very modest life. He also donates significant amounts to charity.
Mark said that by the end of this year he wants to donate $ 3 billion to a kind of charity - the structure that will receive the investment is dedicated to the eradication of all currently existing diseases on Earth.
Narenda Modi
The penultimate one is Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi. Every year is more and more successful for Modi. Popularity among Indians is steadily growing.
It is noteworthy that even the harsh financial reform did not diminish his popularity. Painful changes were made as part of the fight against corruption. In the autumn of 2016, the prime minister issued an order that states the annulment of the two most nominal denominations.
Larry Page
A well-known figure on the Internet, it is Larry who is one of the main developers of the best Google search engine. In 2016, the company was completely reorganized and now Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet. Larry is elected to the post of chairman of the board.
Bill Gates
Larry was overtaken by a no less famous person - Bill Gates. He is the founder of the world famous Windows company, which is a world leader in software development. The richest man in the world, with a fortune exceeding $ 80 billion.
Janet Yellen
Leading US economist, Janet Yellen, is almost in the middle of our top. Concurrently, she is also the head of the US Federal Reserve System. It controls all activities of banking and other financial institutions.
It's funny, but it is very popular among ordinary Americans. This is ensured thanks to her simple approach and the ability to clearly express her thoughts in an accessible form.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis, head of the Vatican, is ranked fifth. He is also the oldest member of the TOP, because he recently turned 80 years old.
It is worth noting that a solid age does not at all prevent Francis from maintaining a huge amount of vital energy and inspiring people on the true path. After all, it is he who directs a huge flock to perform various good deeds.
Xi Jinping
The fourth place is occupied by the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping. In 2012, he was elected to the position and immediately set to work in the country. He became famous for his fight against corruption. The population is extremely supportive of his activities, due to the high degree of openness.
Angela Merkel
It is quite predictable that Angela Merkel has entered the top three this year. He is a very unusual person, but at the same time remains a prominent figure in political life.
The German chancellor, according to Forbes, can compete with Russia's influence in the West. The ambitious politician was able to relieve tension within the European Union and coped with the huge crowds of emigrants flooding into Germany.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is in second place. Surpassing his predecessor, Barack Obama, who fell to forty-eighth after third place, Trump confidently entered the top ten most influential people on the planet.
Recall that earlier Trump was at the very bottom of the rating, but the rapid rise provided him with the presidency.
The ambitious politician who came to power with the slogan "Make America Great Again" immediately set to work.
Vladimir Putin
The first place in the ranking is occupied by Vladimir Putin. According to Forbes, he is the most powerful person in the world. Taking the first mark for the fourth time in a row, the politician proved that he is deservedly considered the most famous and popular person, whose influence on society simply cannot be denied.
Read also:
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 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, 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 recognized by the world community as a terrorist.
Vladimir Putin ended up at Forbes last year, 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 Alexey Miller and Alisher Usmanov (42, 47 and 61 places 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" - the odious - the leader of North Korea.
Below we suggest you 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 leader |
| 5. | Angela Merkel | Germany, Chancellor |
| 6. | Janet 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" 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 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 Edition: The World's Most Influential People
Another well-known publication annually publishes its list of the most influential personalities. This is another American magazine - "Time". Every year he presents his hundred of the 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 position. Last year, the Time-100 list included people from various walks of life. These are politicians, religious leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, athletes and creative people.
Just like Forbes magazine, Time included in its 100 main players in the geopolitical arena of the world: Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Xi Jinping. 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 influence on the world, however, they do it with the help of 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.
- Tycoons.
- Cultural figures.
- Scientists.
- Idols and heroes.
This can explain the presence of a significant number of musicians, athletes, writers or artists in the Time 100 ratings. 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 the famous and influential personalities most often in the Time 100 list were: Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, and Bill Gates.
Vladimir Putin: short biography
The President of Russia has not left the lists of the most influential people on the planet for several years in a row.
Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich - Russian, was 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. Confident in skating and skiing.
Barack Obama: a short 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 city of Honolulu. He has two higher educations (Columbia and 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.
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' career as a priest began only in the late 1960s.
Pope Francis is best known for his rather progressive outlook on life. So, he distinguished himself by sharp criticism towards those who do not want to baptize illegitimate babies.
Finally
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, such ratings should be treated with some skepticism.
Forbes on Wednesday released a new ranking of the most influential people in the world. The list includes 72 political, economic, business and public figures - one for every 100 million inhabitants of the planet. The rating was headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 61-year-old politician removed his American colleague Barack Obama from the first line. Rounding out the top three were Chinese President Xi Jinping. Read more about the most influential people in the world according to Forbes below.
The rating is based on the subjective choice of the American editors of the magazine. The criteria for influence are indicators such as the number of people affected by the decisions of the rating participant, the financial flows that the rating participant manages as an administrator, manager or owner, and the activity with which the rating participant uses his power.
1. Vladimir Putin
Who: President of Russia
influence: Russia
Industry: politics
Age: 61
The ascension of the Russian leader to the top of the Forbes influence rating was facilitated both by the process of “tightening the screws” inside the country and by his success in the diplomatic arena.
In particular, Putin proposed a compromise solution to the Syrian problem that would suit all parties and relieved tension in a conflict that almost escalated into a full-scale war. In addition, the Russian president granted political asylum to former CIA officer Edward Snowden, whose high-profile revelations became not only a headache for American intelligence agencies, but also a problem for other states, whose diplomats the fugitive programmer turned to for support.
The world's largest nuclear arsenal, a vote in the UN Security Council and record hydrocarbon deposits remain under Putin's control. The leader of the rating has at least another five years of absolute power in reserve, and can potentially rule Russia until 2024.
2. Barack Obama
Who: President of the United States
influence: USA
Industry: politics
Age: 52
The American leader lost the first line of the rating to his Russian colleague against the backdrop of numerous squabbles in US domestic politics.
Obama failed 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. No less 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 with his second term in office and the accompanying suspicions of turning into a lame duck, Obama remains the leader of the world's most powerful political, economic, and military power.
3. Xi Jinping
Who: Chinese President
influence: PRC
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 population of the entire planet. Under Xi, China remains the largest holder of American external debt - the Celestial Empire owns US Treasury receipts for $ 1.3 billion. The rapid growth of the economy continues: in 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 PRC, 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 Latin American pope has already issued a number of reformist statements, from calling for gender equality to lowering the level of critical rhetoric against supporters of abortion, gay marriage and contraceptives. Francis, or Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the world, uses social media, preaches on Twitter, and even takes self-portraits for social networks in accordance with the spirit of the times.
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
influences: 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 hard line of austerity and the preservation of the euro as a single currency helped the EU to survive as an integration entity, despite the crisis in the southern economies of the Old World and persistent calls for reverse disintegration from the North.
Recently, the “iron chancellor” was re-elected without any visible problems to the post that she has been holding since 2005. In the ranking of the most powerful women in the world according to Forbes, Merkel 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 fortune of $72 billion, Gates recently regained his status as the richest person in the world according to Forbes. At the same time, the Microsoft founder himself spends most of his time on the work of a charitable foundation, which he manages with his wife Melinda.
As a philanthropist, he has already spent $28 billion. Gates' last major philanthropic initiative was the $335 million polio program in April, which was joined by six more billionaires with $100 million in contributions, including Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Microsoft shares have been rising since the end of August, when the software giant announced the resignation of Steve Ballmer as CEO. Gates remains chairman of the board of directors of the company he co-founded with Paul Allen in 1975.
Along 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 most powerful economic post in the world on January 31, 2014. Recently it became known the name of his successor - Janet Yellen will head the Fed next year. During his tenure, Bernanke has become a living symbol of the fight against the consequences of the global crisis. The former Princeton professor became the main lobbyist for the soft stimulus policy and ensured, albeit modest, but still stable growth in US GDP.
8. Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud
Who: King of Saudi Arabia
Influence: Saudi Arabia
Industry: politics
Age: 89
The influence of the Saudi monarch is made up not only of high authority in the Muslim world, but also due to 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 old. King Abdullah recently allocated $130 billion for youth employment and housing programs.
9. Mario Draghi
Who: President of the European Central Bank
influence: ECB
Industry: economics
Age: 66
"Super Mario" got not the most comfortable position in modern economic realities. He became the face of the troubled economy of the eurozone countries with a combined GDP of $17 trillion. Every time Draghi has to set investors up for optimism and maneuver between the interests of countries so different by all criteria, like Greece and Germany. And while he copes with this paradoxical task.
10. Michael Duke
Who: CEO of Wal-Mart Stores
Influencers: Wal-Mart Stores
Industry: business
Age: 63
The head of the world's largest retailer with a revenue of $470 billion and the world's second largest employer with a staff of 2.2 million people 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 a single signature, simply by removing it from the shelf or putting it there. In the fall, he visited Washington as part of a delegation of 20 CEOs of the largest American companies, where he tried to convince President Obama of the need to quickly break the budget impasse.
11. David Cameron
Who: British Prime Minister
influences: UK
Industry: politics
Age: 47
The Tory leader runs the world's sixth largest economy and is often compared to Margaret Thatcher for her commitment to fiscal austerity. True, Cameron got hit for a populist proposal to cut the electricity tax for households. An Oxford graduate and distant relative of King William IV is known as an active critic of Edward Snowden. In two years, Cameron will have to lead the Conservatives to new elections.
12. Carlos Slim
Who: Chairman of the Honorary Charitable Foundation
influences: America Movil
Industry: business, philanthropy
Age: 73
The Mexican telecommunications tycoon displaced Bill Gates from the position of the richest man in the world for several years, but this year again lost the palm to the American. Slim's business empire includes assets in mining, real estate development and media (under 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 the 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 diagnosed with prostate cancer and advanced age, does not let go of the threads of the operational management of his business empire. His net worth has grown by almost $20 billion to $53.5 billion in a year, and Buffett has not lost his taste for big deals. Berkshire Hathaway launched a $23.2 billion takeover of legendary ketchup maker Heinz in June, after acquiring energy firm NV Energy for $5.6 billion in cash. The investor continues to be actively involved in charity: in July, he sent another $ 2 billion in the form of Berkshire shares to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Cumulatively, Buffett's philanthropic initiatives have already reached $20 billion.
14. Li Keqiang
Who: Premier of the State Council of China
influence: PRC
Industry: politics
Age: 58
The second politician in the PRC after Xi Jinping, Li, despite being loyal to the party's communist ideals, is known as a champion of economic liberalism. He acted as one of the lobbyists of the World Bank report, which called on the Celestial Empire to accelerate reforms in the direction opposite to state capitalism.
15. Jeff Bezos
Who: CEO of Amazon.com
Influencers: Amazon.com
Industry: business, technology
Age: 49
Bezos quickly emerged as one of the world's most powerful businessmen with the explosion of the online retailer he founded. Amazon, with $61 billion in annual sales, has expanded its reach into technology, fashion, video streaming and traditional media. In the summer, Bezos acquired The Washington Post holding for $250 million.
16. Rex Tillerson
Who: CEO of Exxon Mobil
Influencers: Exxon Mobil
Industry: business
Age: 61
The head of the largest US oil and gas corporation led Exxon to a phenomenal $44.9 billion 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
influencers: Google
Industry: business, technology
Age: 40
The co-founders of Google have been working in tandem together for more than a decade. While Page has operational control over the entire search giant, Brin has focused on the corporation's most innovative devices within the Google X division. We are talking about Google Glass augmented reality glasses and a self-driving car. Together with Page, Brin donated $400 million to charity this year.
18. Larry Page
Who: co-founder, CEO of Google
influencers: Google
Industry: business, technology
Age: 40
Page runs the world's most popular site 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 $1 billion purchase of the crowdsourced app Waze and the $12.5 billion takeover of Motorola's mobile division.
19. Francois Hollande
Who: President of France
influences: France
Industry: politics
Age: 59
Hollande became France's first Socialist president in two decades and immediately ran into the financial troubles of Europe's second-largest economy. His popularity rating dropped to 23% in October amid clumsy actions in a high-profile scandal over migrant deportations. This is the lowest electoral figure for a French president in 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 of wiretapping by the US special services of telephone conversations of millions of French people (70 calls and SMS messages were tapped and viewed in a month alone).
20. Timothy Cook
Who: Apple CEO
influencers: 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 industry, 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 CEO of Apple, the successor to Steve Jobs in office, earned $4.2 million.
53. Dmitry Medvedev
Who: Prime Minister of Russia
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
influence: Rosneft
Industry: business
Age: 53
A faithful ally of Vladimir Putin returned to the Forbes rating after a year of absence. He did not join Dmitry Medvedev's government 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 started a “deal of the century” to take over TNK-BP in the amount of $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: CEO of Gazprominvestholding
Influencers: USM Holdings
Industry: business
Age: 60
Russia's richest man made his fortune of $17.6 billion in metals, but in recent years he has diversified his business by acquiring assets in telecommunications (MegaFon), media (Kommersant Publishing House) and technology (Mail.ru Group). He also owns a stake in London's Arsenal Football Club.
If you are sure that you live modestly, do not own a business, do not engage in politics, because the affairs of the powerful of this world do not concern you, you are mistaken. There are always those on whom the events in the world directly or indirectly depend.
We will talk about them - the most influential people of our time. Regular lists with them are compiled by the 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 such list.
One of the few political leaders in India who enjoys huge support from the people. A vivid confirmation of this is his re-election for a fourth consecutive term. However, both at home and abroad, many consider him a controversial personality. On the one hand, this is a charismatic “millionaire from the slums”, winner of UN and UNESCO awards, and on the other hand, one of the indirect culprits of the result of interreligious clashes in Gujarat among Indian Muslims (then more than a thousand people died). 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 history of the latter began with a modest website for Harvard students, and has grown to the level of 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, which is how he intends to dispose of 99% of Facebook's shares. 
Not surprisingly, he made it to 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 that directly affects what information we receive daily using the global Web.
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and philanthropist
He is one of the people who made computers small, human (in terms of learning) and affordable. For several years in a row, he led the ranking of the richest people in the world, and today, moving away from business, he has focused his efforts on the development of 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 claim to be the largest since the turn of the 21st century.
Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church
His name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio and he is the 266th pope. In the past 1200 years, he became the first non-European (born in Buenos Aires) to take 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 firm 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 chaired the US Federal Reserve since 2014 and is the first woman to hold this position. To understand the importance of this government unit, you need to know that it performs the function of the country's central bank. Janet Yellen is not the only one in the family to be honored: her husband is a Nobel Laureate in Economics, and she herself has a Ph.D. 
Xi Jinping, Chinese President
It is difficult to underestimate the influence of China on the world economy, so it is not surprising that the leader of this country was included in the list of the most influential people. Xi Jinping stands out among other politicians for his principled position on corruption, as well as his openness to reforms. He first got into the top 100 most influential people in the world (according to Forbes) back in 2009. 
Merkel has repeatedly become the leader in the rankings of the most influential women politicians, has numerous awards and was named "Woman of the Year" by the authoritative British edition of the 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. A versatile person, he is engaged not only in business (he is the president of a construction conglomerate, the owner of a network of gambling establishments and hotel complexes), but also worked as a TV presenter, regularly appeared in 
Indeed, he not only once again occupies the presidency in a country that consistently holds first place in the world in terms of territory and ninth in terms of 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 rating.
The personal life of public politicians and media personalities always attracts close attention of society and the press. Therefore, many of them try to protect themselves and their families from journalists and strictly dose out information about it. The editors of the site invite you to read about the family life of Vladimir Putin.
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1. Vladimir Putin
President of Russia
Age: 63
The country: Russia
Family status: divorced, two children
According to Forbes, Vladimir Putin still knows no equal in terms of the totality of the analyzed parameters. 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 unleashed a proxy war in Ukraine collapsed the ruble and plunged the country into a deep recession, but did not hurt Putin himself: in June, his approval rating rose to a record 89%. In October, he began bombing ISIS positions in Syria and met with President Bashar al-Assad, weakening US and NATO positions in the region and restoring Russia's international influence.
2. Angela Merkel
Chancellor of Germany
Age: 61
The country: Germany
Family status: married
Angela Merkel continues to rule as one of the world's powers and has been the most powerful woman in the world for over 10 years. In December 2014, she was elected for the third time to the post of Chancellor of Germany - after another four years at the head of the government, she will turn into the main democratically elected political centenarian of the EU. Merkel expertly guided the German economy through the global crisis with skillful use of stimulus measures and government subsidies, and played a decisive role in maintaining a united Europe by intervening in the Greek crisis. The German chancellor is also actively supporting the fight against ISIS, the first of the German rulers to break the taboo on participation in hostilities adopted after the Second World War. Merkel has become 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 current peace agreements.
3. Barack Obama
President of the U.S.A
Age: 54
The country: USA
Family status: married, two children
The United States, of course, remains the world's leading power - in the economy, culture, diplomacy, technology, military and other sectors. However, in the last year of his presidency, Obama has clearly lost his own influence. Domestically, his rating rarely rises above 50%, and on the global stage, the American leader is overshadowed 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
The country: Vatican
The spiritual leader of one-sixth of the world's population of 1.2 billion Catholics, Pope Francis has radically changed the church's conservative image in just a few years of his reign. In September, he made a triumphant six-day visit to the United States, where he spoke to Congress and the UN, touching on climate issues, immigration, the infringement of the rights of religious minorities in the Middle East, and more. He also visited a prison in Philadelphia and met with victims of sexual violence, again asking for forgiveness for sexual scandals in the church. The first Jesuit pope and the first Latin American pontiff, he does not hesitate to discuss hitherto forbidden 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
The country: PRC
Family status: married, one child
The Chinese leader is carefully using 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, putting a lot of effort into fighting corruption and building good relations with other powers, both in the West and in the East. From an October trip to the United States and Britain, the Chinese President brought agreements worth a fantastic $46 billion.
6. Bill Gates
Microsoft founder
Age: 60
The country: USA
Family status: married, three children
This year has been decisive in many ways for one of the richest men in the world. 40 years ago, Gates and his friend Paul Allen founded Microsoft with the goal of bringing a computer into every home. Today, 84% of Americans have a computer at home. 15 years ago, Bill and Melinda Gates opened a charitable foundation designed 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 who suffered from the Ebola virus, and a month later Melinda announced that over the next six years the foundation will spend $776 million to fight hunger.
7. Janet Yellen
Federal Reserve Chairman
Age: 69
The country: USA
Family status: married, one child
The first woman at the head of the world's top financial regulator quickly gained influence that she lacked against the backdrop of Ben Bernanke's powerful predecessor. Yellen's arrival as head of the Fed also coincided with the exit of the US economy from the crisis, and now her task is to restore Americans' faith in the American dream. In October, the Fed announced its readiness to curtail the economic stimulus program, but promised to leave the refinancing rate at zero. On the balance sheet of the regulator under the leadership of Yellen, there are already $ 4.5 trillion of assets - for comparison, US GDP is $ 16.8 trillion.
8. David Cameron
British Prime Minister
Age: 49
The country: United Kingdom
Family status: married, four children
Cameron was re-elected to his post in May of this year. The leader of the Conservative Party is very active on Twitter - he has 834,000 followers there, and also likes to take selfies, the most famous of which is with US President Barack Obama at the funeral of Nelson Mandela.
9. Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India
Age: 65
The country: India
Family status: married
Narendra Modi raised the country's GDP by 7.4% in his first year in office, as well as his status in the international arena, having met with Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. Modi's reforms have increased India's influence in the technology market, but to secure his position, he needs to reform the party and take control of the opposition.
10 Larry Page
Founder of Google
Age: 42
The country: USA
In August 2015, Larry Page announced his intention to cede the post of CEO of Google to Sundar Pichai, the head of Google's search business, by the end of the year. The billionaire himself will move to the chair of the 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, and others. corporations soared to new historical records on the back of advances in mobile search, the development of YouTube and the promise of additional investment in development. Previously, Page and the team launched Sidewalk Labs, an organization that will focus on urban development and the improvement of the mobile services industry. Larry founded Google in 1998 with another Stanford student, Sergey Brin, and served as the company's first CEO until 2001. He then took a ten-year diversion to product development and returned to the CEO position in 2011. In October 2014, Pichai became involved in the operational management of the business, while Page focused on long-term strategic issues. The Google co-founder is known as one of Silicon Valley's most staunch advocates of alternative energy.
47. Igor Sechin
President of Rosneft
Age: 55
The country: Russia
Family status: married, one child
Although Igor Sechin is considered the right-hand man of the most powerful man in the world, this has not kept him and his state-owned Rosneft company 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 New York University expert Mark Galeotti. “And if Putin trusts you, influence and money will always follow.”
54. Alexey Miller
Chairman of the Board of Gazprom
Age: 53
The country: Russia
Miller controls the main weapon of the Russian economy - the country's largest company, the gas monopoly 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 kept himself and his company out of the sanctions war between Russia and the West.
57. Alisher Usmanov
Major shareholder of USM Holdings
Age: 62
The country: Russia
Family status: married
One of the richest businessmen in Russia, Usmanov skillfully diversified his portfolio of assets. He owns controlling stakes in metallurgical giant Metalloinvest, Russia's second-largest mobile operator Megafon, and 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 maker Xiaomi, in which the businessman invested $ 500 million. He also owns a stake in London's Arsenal football club. 12% of Usmanov's holding belongs to his business partners and key managers.