Politicians and corporate representatives are always at the top of the list. Sometimes the top three finishers stay the same for a long time. It is no secret that great politics takes place behind the scenes. Strategic decisions are also important, as is the geopolitical game that has always been played in the world.
Let’s take a look at the most influential people in the world at the end of 2018 and find out what are the results that put them in the ranking of the authoritative publication.
Forbes analysts not only rely on politically important decisions and reshuffles in the political arena, but also study the ranking of the American magazine Time, which each spring publishes a list of the 100 most influential people in the world to answer the question of who is making history today.
Xi Jinping, President of China
The Chinese leader comes from a complicated family. His father was a collaborator of Mao Zedong and held important positions, so Xi Jinping formally belongs to the clan of princes within the party called Tai Zidang. In the 1960s, the family was repressed and expelled from the capital. Knowing deprivation and poverty, China’s future leader was able to rally people around him.
In the wake of economic growth and income, the President of the People’s Republic of China has skilfully implemented the reforms; the specific internal policies of the Communist Party were officially written into the Constitution.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
From 2013 to 2016, Vladimir Putin occupied the first place in the rankings. The period from the beginning of 2000 to the present is called the Putin era in Russia. He significantly strengthened the country’s role in the foreign policy arena, strengthened the military and increased armaments. Under him, Russia’s borders expanded with the annexation of Crimea.
Western politicians consider him one of the most influential people in the political arena, and there is an active rivalry for Russia’s zones of influence. Speaking of Vladimir Putin, the issue of interference in the US presidential elections, which is actively being discussed, cannot be avoided.
Donald Trump, President of the United States of America
Nobody believed that Donald Trump, one of the richest men in the United States, would become president. There is talk of external interference, but no one has provided direct evidence. Managing the richest and most powerful country in the world forces Trump to take decisive steps.
Despite the difficulties, it pursues a vigorous economic policy and seeks to improve the lives of ordinary Americans.
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
Today many have begun to forget that Ms Merkel is the first female chancellor in the history of Germany. She obtained consent for her office and was re-elected for 4 terms in 2012. Today it is clear that Angela Merkel’s popularity among politicians and citizens is waning. The reason is the unstable situation of migrants and a dual foreign policy with which not everyone agrees.
Jeff Bezos, head of the US company Amazon
In 2018, Forbes named the founder of Amazon as the richest man on the planet, with an estimated fortune of $ 135 billion, while Bloomberg ranks it at $ 150 billion. Bezos is actively expanding his economic interests, increasing his sphere of influence not only in the United States, but also in the world.
Pope Francis
Since becoming the new Pope, Francis has embarked on a process of reforming the Catholic Church, believing that the community lives too conservatively. He is actively involved in political life, meeting prominent personalities and supporting campaigns to reduce violence around the world.
He strongly opposed euthanasia, abortion and the legalization of homosexual relationships. He criticized clergymen who refused single mothers to baptize their children.
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft
Philanthropist Bill Gates is active in helping those in need and is highly respected in American society. His community speaks of him as a humble man, but the entrepreneur lives in a huge house worth over $ 125 million with no land value.
Considered the most respected person on the planet.
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
De facto governor of the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula and the youngest defense minister in the world, he politically actively supports the US position on most issues.
The issue of the change of power in Saudi Arabia is currently very much felt. Part of the elite is in favor of removing the crown prince, but this can only happen after the king’s death. Whether Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud will keep power in his hands, only time will tell.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
The seventh place in the ranking is occupied by the leader of India, known for being a controversial figure in politics. Despite the difficulties, he is supported by the country’s rapid economic growth.
In foreign policy, India is proceeding cautiously; under her rule, he is constantly building armaments and a navy.
Larry Page, co-founder of Google
As a scientist and entrepreneur, Page made a fortune of $ 40.7 billion. Previously topping the Forbes list for several consecutive years, Larry Page is not only a wealthy man, but he’s returned to being the influential CEO of Alphabet, the holding company that controls Google’s platforms.
The top 10 of the most influential people in Russia
In addition to the above ranking, the publication presents a list of the most important people in Russian business and domestic politics. Let’s find out who entered the top list of 2018.
Vladimir Putin
At the top of the list is undoubtedly the President himself, on whom both foreign and domestic policies depend. Recently he has been frequently criticized for raising taxes, retirement age and other unpopular reforms.
Herman Gref
The director of the largest commercial bank in the country is an influential businessman, very attentive to what he does, which is why the bank is successful in both the CIS and Europe.
Alex Miller
Miller’s annual income exceeds $ 17 million. The chairman of the board of directors of PJSC Gazprom actively influences the position of the domestic market and the foreign position of the country.
Igor Sechin
Rosneft’s executive director is also on the “Most Influential People” list: he was a longtime member of the presidential administration and was the only Russian representative on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People on the Planet.
Dmitry Medvedev
The Russian prime minister, fifth in the rankings, was president from 2008 to 2012 and he is responsible for the country’s unpopular reforms, including the latest VAT increase to 20%.
Vladimir Bogdanov
Vladimir Leonidovich has had a long and prestigious career in the oil and gas drilling industry and knows the ins and outs of running an oil and gas company as well as overseeing Surgutneftegaz.
Elvira Nabiullina
Distinguished economist of Russia, he was Putin’s assistant for a year before joining the Bank of Russia. He proposes an economy model based on private investment in competitive areas.
Alexander Bortnikov
The general and head of the FSB is an influential figure in any country, he is not on the US sanctions list and has visited the country multiple times.
Oleg Belozerov
A statesman, head of the Russian Railways, succeeded Vladimir Yakunin. With his arrival, the company began to actively fight corruption. He was recommended as a candidate for the post of Minister of Transport.
Vagit Alekperov
The co-owner of the oil company Lukoil is engaged in social and scientific activities, is considered the most important tycoon in the country in the sector and is a collector of rare coins.
The book by the American astrophysicist M. Hart presents his version of the hundred most influential figures in world history. From the writer’s point of view, it looks like this:
- the prophet and central figure of Islam, Mohammed;
- scientist Isaac Newton;
- the central figure of Christianity, Jesus Christ;
- a spiritual master of Buddhism, the Buddha;
- The Chinese philosopher Confucius;
- Chief Apostle Paul;
- Chinese dignitary Cai Lun, who may have invented the paper;
- The first German printer Johannes Gutenberg;
- Christopher Columbus, explorer and navigator who discovered America for Europe;
- physicist A. Einstein;
- microbiology Louis Pasteur;
- The Italian scientist Galileo Galilei;
- the philosopher of ancient Greece, Aristotle;
- the mathematician Euclid;
- The Jewish Prophet Moses;
- English naturalist and traveler, Charles Darwin;
- The first emperor of China, the founder of the Qin dynasty, Shi Huangdi;
- The Roman emperor Octavian Augustus;
- Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus;
- Antoine Lavoisier, the first chemist;
- Roman emperor Constantine I;
- engineer and mechanic James Watt;
- physicist Michael Faraday;
- scientist J. Maxwell;
- the theologian of Christianity, Martin Luther;
- the first president of the United States, George Washington;
- The German sociologist and economist Karl Marx;
- aircraft designers Orville and Wilbur Wright;
- Il khan text Genghis Khan;
- economist Adam Smith;
- the poet William Shakespeare;
- naturalist John Dalton;
- Commander Alexander the Great;
- Emperor Napoleon I of France;
- inventore Thomas Edison;
- the founder of microscopy, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek;
- dentist William Morton;
- Gugliermo Marconi, radio engineer;
- Il Führer del Terzo Reich, Adolf Hitler;
- the philosopher Plato;
- revolutionary Oliver Cromwell;
- scientist Alexander Bell;
- Alexander Fleming, the inventor of penicillin;
- filosofo John Locke;
- pianist and composer of his works, Ludwig van Beethoven;
- One of the founders of quantum mechanics, Werner Heisenberg;
- chemist Louis Daguerre;
- the independence fighter Simón BolÃvar;
- mathematician René Descartes;
- Michelangelo sculptor;
- Pope Urban II;
- a companion of the Prophet Umar ibn al-Khattab;
- The Indian ruler Ashoka;
- Cristiano Aurelio Augustino;
- physician William Garvey;
- the creator of nuclear physics, E. Rutherford;
- Reformer and theologian Jean Calvin;
- A monk active in botany and in the study of heredity, H. Mendel;
- the leader of German science, Max Planck;
- The English surgeon Joseph Lister;
- inventor Nikolaus Otto;
- conqueror F. Pizarro;
- conqueror Hernan Cortez;
- US President Thomas Jefferson;
- Queen Isabella I of Spain;
- the leader of the USSR, Joseph Stalin;
- Giulio Cesare the leader;
- William I the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy;
- psychologist Sigmund Freud;
- Edward Jenner, the doctor who created the smallpox vaccine;
- physicist W. Roentgen;
- composer Johann Bach;
- Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism;
- poet and educator Voltaire;
- astronomer Johannes Kepler;
- physicist E. Fermi;
- the Swiss mathematician L. Euler;
- thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau;
- the philosopher Nicolò Machiavelli;
- economist Thomas Malthus;
- US President John F. Kennedy;
- Gregory Pincus, creator of the oral contraceptive;
- the founder of Manichaeism, Mani;
- the man who made the world believe in the power of revolution, Vladimir Lenin;
- Chinese emperor Sun Wen-di;
- the navigator Vasco da Gama;
- King Cyrus II of Persia;
- Emperor Peter the Great;
- The Chinese politician Mao Tse-tung;
- philosopher Francis Bacon;
- industriale Henry Ford;
- the philosopher Meng Tzu;
- the founder of the ancient Zarathustra religion;
- To Queen Elizabeth I
- the first president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev;
- Menes, the unifier of Egypt;
- King of the Franks, Charlemagne I, who earned this nickname during his life;
- the poet Homer;
- Emperor Justinian I of Byzantium;
- Mahavira preacher.