FORBES Names the World’s Most Powerful People

There are seven billion people on the planet. FORBES listed the 70 that matter most. What do the president of the United States, the Dalai Lama, a billionaire drug dealer and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg all have in common? They are all featured on FORBES' annual ranking of the World's Most Powerful People.

The FORBES ranking takes into account four factors. First, they measured how many people a person has power over. Then they looked at the financial resources controlled by each candidate. Next they asked: Is a candidate influential in more than one arena, or sphere? Finally, FORBES gave consideration to how actively the candidates wield their power. This measure eliminated inactive heirs to great fortunes, semi-retired industrialists and former heads of state. In all, 70 people made the final list, one for every 100 million people on the planet.

The title of the World’s Most Powerful Man on this year’s list is President Barack Obama, who gave up the top spot last year to China’s president Hu Jintao (#3). Despite his current political weakness, Obama remains the head-of-state of the world’s largest, most dynamic economy, commander-in-chief of the planet’s deadliest military and, unofficially, the leader of the free world.

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