Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People

Starting in 2009, Forbes magazine compiles an annual list of the world's most powerful people. The list has one slot for every 100 million people on Earth, meaning in 2009 there were 67 people on the list, in 2010 there were 68, in 2011 there were 70, and in 2012 there were 71. Slots are allocated based on the amount of human and financial resources that they have sway over, as well as their influence on world events.

Forbes' Most Powerful People, 2015 (top 10)

1– Vladimir Putin President of Russia   2 – Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany   3– Barack Obama President of the United States   4 – Francis Pope of the Roman Catholic Church   5 – Xi Jinping General Secretary of the Communist Party of China   6 – Bill Gates Founder of Microsoft   7 – Janet Yellen Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve   8 – David Cameron Prime Minister of the United Kingdom   9 – Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India   10 – Larry Page Co-founder of Google

Year-by-Year Top 10

2009		2010		2011		2012		2013		2014		2015
1	Barack Obama President of the United States	1	Hu Jintao General Secretary of the Communist Party of China	1	Barack Obama President of the United States			1	Vladimir Putin President of Russia
2	Hu Jintao General Secretary of the Communist Party of China	2	Barack Obama President of the United States	2	Vladimir Putin Prime Minister of Russia	2	Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany	2	Barack Obama President of the United States			2	Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany
3	Vladimir Putin Prime Minister of Russia	3	Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia	3	Hu Jintao General Secretary of the Communist Party of China	3	Vladimir Putin Prime Minister of Russia	3	Xi Jinping General Secretary of the Communist Party of China			3	Barack Obama President of the United States
4	Ben Bernanke Chair of the Federal Reserve	4	Vladimir Putin Prime Minister of Russia	4	Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany	4	Bill Gates Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation Founder of Microsoft	4	Francis Pope of the Roman Catholic Church
5	Sergey Brin Larry Page Co-Founders of Google	5	Benedict XVI Pope of the Roman Catholic Church	5	Bill Gates Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation Founder of Microsoft	5	Benedict XVI Pope of the Roman Catholic Church	5	Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany			5	Xi Jinping General Secretary of the Communist Party of China
6	Carlos Slim Chief executive of Telmex	6	Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany	6	Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia	6	Ben Bernanke Chair of the Federal Reserve	6	Bill Gates Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation Founder of Microsoft	6	Janet Yellen Chair of the Federal Reserve	6	Bill Gates Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation Founder of Microsoft
7	Rupert Murdoch Chairman of News Corporation	7	David Cameron Prime Minister of the United Kingdom	7	Benedict XVI Pope of the Roman Catholic Church	7	Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia	7	Ben Bernanke Chair of the Federal Reserve	7	Bill Gates Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation Founder of Microsoft	7	Janet Yellen Chair of the Federal Reserve
8	Mike Duke Chief Executive of Walmart	8	Ben Bernanke Chair of the Federal Reserve			8	Mario Draghi President of the European Central Bank	8	Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia	8	Mario Draghi President of the European Central Bank	8	David Cameron Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
9	Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia	9	Sonia Gandhi President of the Indian National Congress	9	Mark Zuckerberg Founder & CEO of Facebook	9	Xi Jinping General Secretary of the Communist Party of China	9	Mario Draghi President of the European Central Bank	9	Sergey Brin Larry Page Co-Founders of Google	9	Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India
10	Bill Gates Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation Founder of Microsoft			10	David Cameron Prime Minister of the United Kingdom			10	Mike Duke Chief Executive of Walmart	10	David Cameron Prime Minister of the United Kingdom	10	Larry Page Co-Founder of Google

See also

• Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women
• 40 under 40 (Fortune Magazine)

External links

• Forbes site: The World's Most Powerful People 2015
• Forbes site: The World's Most Powerful People 2010
• Forbes site: The World's Most Powerful People 2009