1. Vladimir Putin
Russia's president continues to prove he's one of the few men in the world powerful enough to do what he wants --and get away with it. International sanctions set in place after he seized Crimea and waged war-by-proxy in the Ukraine have kneecapped the Ruble and driven Russia into deepening recession, but haven't hurt Putin one bit: In June his approval ratings reached an all-time high of 89%. In October, he bombed ISIS forces in Syria and then met face-to-face with President Assad, making the U.S. and NATO look weak in the region, and helping rebuild Russian influence abroad
2. Angela Merkel
If there is a single leader able to defy existential economic
and political challenges to the European Union, from edges and core, it has
been German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her successes on the one hand to convince
ailing EU brethren such as Greece and Spain to aspire to German fiscal and
legal logic, and on the other hand to persuade Germany's own constituents and
political egos to buy in to her solutions, is illustrated by a European Union
that in 2016 remains standing. Merkel
guided her country through a recession with stimulus packages and subsidies for
companies that cut hours for workers, with Germany entering 2016 with a budget
surplus of 12.1 billion euros ($13.1 billion) and an AAA rating from credit
rating agencies. She used her power against ISIS, breaking the post-Nazi-era
taboo of direct involvement in military actions by sending arms to Kurdish
fighters. But her latest act may be the boldest. By opening Germany's borders
to over 1 million immigrants from Syria and other Muslim countries in the last
several years, Merkel has decided to wield her power with the most curious of
geopolitical strategies: sheer humanism. The next vote for her office takes
place in autumn 2017, and polls indicate a weary constituency. Yet winning
another term despite low polls is, for Merkel, a proven trait.
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3. Barack Obama
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There's no doubt that the United States remains the world's
greatest economic, cultural, diplomatic, technological and military power. But
as Obama enters the final year of his presidency, it's clear his influence is
shrinking, and it's a bigger struggle than ever to get things done. At home,
his approval ratings are perpetually stuck under 50%; abroad, he's outshined by
Angela Merkel in Europe, and outmaneuvered by Putin in the Middle East.
Barack
Obama on :
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#2 in 2014
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4. Pope Francis
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The spiritual leader to one-sixth of the world's population --
1.2 billion souls. Pope Francis has made it his mission to transform the
longstanding conservative image of the Catholic Church. The pontiff made a
six-day visit to the U.S. in September, addressing Congress and the United
Nations and urging actions on issues including climate change, immigration, and
the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East.He also
visited inmates in a Philadelphia jail and met with victims of sexual abuse,
telling those who were molested by priests he was "deeply sorry" for
occasions where their accounts were not believed. The first Jesuit and Latin
American Bishop of Rome preaches compassion for the poor and a greater role for
women while signaling the church to quiet its focus on "issues related to
abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptives."
Pope Francis on :
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#4 in 2014
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5. Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping holds all three offices required to be China's paramount leader,
becoming what some have called the most powerful Chinese ruler since Mao
Zedong. Xi was quick to see the benefits of privatization-friendly reforms and
further signs of fresh thinking are everywhere. He has a surprisingly assertive
public profile, even allowing the state media to publish a day-in-the-life
account of his workday.
Xi
has fought harder than his predecessors against corruption and in favor of
greater economic and security alliances. Xi has been a strong proponent of
Chinese investment abroad. He met with leaders in the U.S. and U.K. in October
in a trip that brought about an estimated $46 billion in trade and investment
deals, and heads to Vietnam and Singapore in November.
Xi Jinping on :
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#3 in 2014
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6. Bill Gates
Bill Gates continues to tackle global challenges as co-chair of
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable
foundation. In June at the Forbes Philanthropy Summit, his team created a
chicken coop in a downtown Manhattan skyscraper, showcasing the importance that
a few chickens can have in improving the quality of life for some of the
world's poorest people. In July, Gates gave the annual Nelson Mandela lecture
in Pretoria, South Africa, urging the continent to invest in its youth and
promising that his foundation will invest $5 billion in Africa over the next
five years.
Gates, who stepped down as chairman
of Microsoft in early 2014 but has remained a board member of the company he
cofounded, owns roughly 2.5% of Microsoft, which accounts for just under 15% of
his fortune. Other investments include stakes in Deere & Co., hygiene and
water technology firm Ecolab, and car dealer Autonation. In January, Gates
reportedly invested in Redmond, Wash.-based startup Kymeta, which is building
tiny satellite antennas that could improve communications connectivity.
Bill Gates on :
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#1 in 2015
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7. Janet Yellen
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Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen has become known for
steadiness, not inscrutability: She indicated throughout 2015 that she would
raise interest rates, and last December, for the first time since June 2006,
interest rates rose. Reminding markets again in late May that the Fed's job is
to suppress unemployment and inflation, she stated, simply, that rates may rise
again in July. Performing neither as wizard nor innovator, instead Yellen
asserts her power by way of plain sentences and easy logic -- making it easy to
forget that the Yale- and Brown-educated economist is the world's top
market-mover.
Janet Yellen on :
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#4 in 2015
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8. David Camroon
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The U.K. prime minister held onto his spot at 10 Downing Street
this year, winning reelection in May. He now presides over the country's only
conservative majority government in 23 years. The Conservative leader is fond
of Twitter - he has 834,000 followers - and selfies, most famously the shot
with Barack Obama and then Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt during Nelson
Mandela's memorial service in 2013.
David Cameron on :
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#10 in 2014
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9. Narendra Modi
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India's populist PM presided over 7.4% GDP growth in his first
year in office, and raised his profile as a global leader during official
visits with Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. A barnstorming tour of Silicon Valley
reinforced his nation's massive importance in tech. But governing 1.2 billion
people requires more than shaking hands: Now Modi must pass his party's reform
agenda and keep fractious opposition under control.
Narendra Modi on :
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#15 in 2014
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10. Larry Page
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Larry Page sits at the helm of Alphabet, the parent company of
Google, healthcare division Calico, smart home appliance division Nest and
more. Page was CEO of Google until October 2015, when Alphabet was formed. Page
handed the reins of Google to the search giant's product czar, Sundar Pichai.
Alphabet stock hit an all-time high in December 2015, and the company surpassed
Apple as the world's most valuable company for a time after posting strong
quarterly earnings in February 2016. Page cofounded Google in 1998 with fellow
Stanford Ph.D. student Sergey Brin and was its first CEO until 2001. After serving as
president of products, he took CEO job again in 2011. A clean energy advocate,
Page's network of houses in Palo Alto uses fuel cells, geothermal energy and
rainwater capture. Page is reportedly personally funding two secretive flying
car startups: Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk.
Larry Page on :
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#5 in 2015
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Source :
Forbes.com
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