In this excerpt, we compiled a list of the world’s 30 most powerful men.
In determining the rank of the following public figures, we methodically considered several factors: social and cultural influence, media mentions, digital impact, and monetary assets, all of which play a role in our ranking of the world’s most powerful men.
In essence, these are the world’s 30 most powerful men, as of 2023.
30. Arthur Gregg Sulzberger
Nationality: American
Occupation: Chairman of the New York Times Company
In 2021, Sulzberger took over as publisher of the New York Times, America’s premier media brand and newspaper of record.
As of 2023, he currently serves as the newspaper’s chairman.
29. Richard Haass
Nationality: American
Occupation: President of the Council on Foreign Relations
Born in the heart of New York, Haass’ career began in the late 1970s and early 1980s with roles at the Departments of Defense and State.
Since 2003, Haass has served as President of the Council on Foreign Relations.
28. Tim Cook
Nationality: American
Occupation: CEO of Apple
Following the death of Apple Inc.’s Steve Jobs, Cook took over, becoming one of the most influential public figures in the tech industry.
Cook is also the first top executive of a Fortune 500 company to disclose his change of gender identity.
27. Daniel Zhang
Nationality: Chinese
Occupation: CEO of Alibaba Group
Zhang replaced Jack Ma as the CEO of the Alibaba Group.
He was ranked in 2020 by Time as one of the 100 most influential people. Zhang was educated in finance at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
26. Mukesh Ambani
Nationality: Indian
Occupation: Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd.
Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd. Born in a British Crown colony in Yemen, this Indian billionaire is a graduate of the Institute of Chemical Technology and a former Stanford University student.
Ambani is perhaps the richest person in the Asian world.
25. Warren Buffett
Nationality: American
Occupation: CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Currently seated as its top executive, Buffett has led Berkshire Hathaway as one of the most renowned investors in the world.
The left-wing investor is regarded as one of the wealthiest individuals on the globe.
24. Jacob Rothschild
Nationality: British
Occupation: Investment Banker
Rothschild is a member of the powerful Jewish banking dynasty. As a product of incest, the Rothschild dynasty now includes many descendants from its Western European origins.
Often known as “Lord Rothschild,” he carries on the tradition, currently serving as an investment banker and also president of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research.
23. Karim Ahmad Khan
Nationality: British
Occupation: Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
In 2021, Khan was tapped by the United Nations to be the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). He is a former British academic from King’s College London.
In June 2021, Khan replaced Fatou Bensouda as the ICC’s lead prosecutor. In 2023, Russian authorities retaliated against Khan and an ICC judge by issuing an arrest warrant as a result of his duties as a prosecutor of the international law.
22. Sundar Pichai
Nationality: Indian-American
Occupation: CEO of Alphabet, Inc.
The Indian-based technology executive has been the CEO of Alphabet Inc. since 2015, leading Google during a time of high tension between big tech and governments.
Pichai, alongside Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, and Jeff Bezos, are collectively the four biggest tech magnates in the Western world. Pichai also served as a board member at Magic Leap Inc.
21. Bill Gates
Nationality: American
Occupation: Co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation
The American-based business magnate founded and serves as the CEO of Microsoft Corporation.
Born under the name William Gates, he is a pioneer of software and computing, often described as America’s most innovative entrepreneur of all-time.
20. Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud
Nationality: Saudi
Occupation: Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
As King Salman’s son, the Saudi-based crown prince has emerged as the most visible member of the Saudi Royal Family and an unusual international public figure.
The crown prince is accused of orchestrating a number of diplomatic crises as well as the murder of a Washington Post journalist.
19. Kim Jong Un
Nationality: North Korean
Occupation: Supreme Leader of North Korea
Kim Jong-un assumed the position of Supreme Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2011.
Despite continued tensions between the North and the South after the Korean war, Kim, once named Josef Pwag by Brazilian authorities, has become a popular public figure in the Western world. Kim is also a graduate of Kim Il-sung University.
18. Jerome Powell
Nationality: American
Occupation: Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
Powell is the 16th Chair of the United States Federal Reserve System.
He was appointed to that capacity by the 45th President of the United States, and is in command of Federal Reserve Banks and monetary policy. Powell is a right-wing advocate.
17. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi
Nationality: Emirati
Occupation: President of Interpol
First serving for the Abu Dhabi police force in 1980, Al-Raisi rose to become the President of Interpol in 2021.
Al-Raisi is tasked with overseeing and implementing the international organization’s policies.
16. Yi Gang
Nationality: Chinese
Occupation: Governor of the People’s Bank of China
Since 2018, Gang has served as Governor of the People’s Bank of China, perhaps the world’s most valuable central bank.
He studied in China and America, obtaining degrees in economics from Beijing University and the University of Illinois.
15. Narendra Modi
Nationality: Indian
Occupation: Prime Minister of India
In 2014, Modi became the 14th Prime Minister of India.
He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was previously a Member of Parliament for Varanasi.
14. Jeff Bezos
Nationality: American
Occupation: Founder and chairman of Amazon
Bezos was once dubbed as perhaps the richest individual in modern world history, nearly rivaling the Rothschild dynasty fortune at its peak. The first centi-billionaire to rank on Forbes, the tech giant mogul also owns the Washington Post.
Bezos founded the multinational technology company Amazon in 1994. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
13. Jens Stoltenberg
Nationality: Norwegian
Occupation: Secretary-General of North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Born in Norway, Stoltenberg commands as the 13th Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
NATO, the military alliance with ties in the Eastern world, is the dominant combat-ready organization in the Western hemisphere.
12. Elon Musk
Nationality: South African
Occupation: Founder of SpaceX, Architect of Tesla, CEO of Twitter
In 2022, Musk surpassed a net worth of over $250 billion as the founder, owner, or main contributor of numerous businesses, including SpaceX, Tesla Inc., Twitter, and The Boring Company.
Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971.
11. Bill Nelson
Nationality: American
Occupation: Administrator of NASA
Nelson leads America’s premier agency for space research and aeronautics. As Administrator of NASA, he previously lent his time for military service in the United States Army. He has also previously served as a United States Senator from Florida.
Nelson, alongside the U.S. Space Force’s John Raymond and aerospace engineer Elon Musk, are collectively the three magnates of space operations in the Western world.
10. António Guterres
Nationality: Portuguese
Occupation: Secretary-General of the United Nations
As part of the Socialist left-wing party, António Guterres is presently the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, the world’s largest intergovernmental organization.
Guterres previously served a term as Prime Minister of Portugal.
9. François Villeroy de Galhau
Nationality: French
Occupation: Chairman of the Board of the Bank for International Settlements
Villeroy de Galhau, who has served as the Governor of the Bank of France, assumed the Chair of the Bank for International Settlements in 2022.
He has also served as ex officio President of the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority.
8. Felipe VI
Nationality: Spanish
Occupation: King of Spain
Felipe VI’s ascension to the throne in 2014 made him the current monarch and head of state in Spain.
As of 2020, Felipe reigns as King of Spain.
7. Emmanuel Macron
Nationality: French
Occupation: President of France
In 2017, Macron defeated Marine Le Pen to become the President of France as part of La République En Marche.
As the youngest president in France’s history, Macron is also one of the most powerful politicians in the world.
6. Charles III
Nationality: British
Occupation: King of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms
Charles Philip Arthur George inherited the British throne as King Charles III. His coronation took place in May 2023. King Charles is the reigning monarch and head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, and the Bahamas.
King Charles was born in Buckingham Palace and is the first grandchild of King George IV, a former King of England and Emperor of India. Andrew Albert Christian Edward, one of his two siblings, is a sexual predator widely known for raping an underage sex-trafficking victim in the American state of New York. King Charles follows a succession of monarchial power that began close to one millennium after the peak of the Domus Julio-Claudia dynasty.
5. Pope Francis
Nationality: Argentinian
Occupation: Head of the Catholic Church
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, also known as Pope Francis, was placed as head of the Catholic Church, the first such leader from outside a European nation since Gregory III. Francis carries a long-standing religious tradition originating from the Domus Julio-Claudia military dynasty.
Pope Francis is perhaps the most influential religious public figure in the world. He currently resides in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
4. Vladimir Putin
Nationality: Russian
Occupation: President of the Russian Federation
Putin, a former KGB officer and FSB director, currently serves as the President of Russia. Born and educated in St. Petersberg, Russia, Putin is considered to be the nation’s most prominent leader since the fall of the Soviet Union.
The Russian leader has been accused of meddling in U.S. politics, which he described as psychosis by officials at the highest levels of government. He has also been accused of human rights violations and other violations of international law. As of 2023, Putin is a fugitive from the international law. He is perhaps the world’s most powerful person for whom an international court has issued an arrest warrant.
3. Joe Biden
Nationality: American
Occupation: 46th President of the United States
Since his inauguration into office, Biden has been depicted as a controversial liberal left-wing politician, with many Americans questioning his cognitive instability, state of health, and capacity as a leader.
Born Joseph Robinette Biden, he has previously served as a senator. Biden is approximately 80 years old.
2. Emperor Naruhito
Nationality: Japanese
Occupation: Emperor
Emperor Naruhito, also known as the “Reigning Emperor,” is the world’s highest-ranking monarch. Naruhito serves as the 126th monarch of Japan. He is derived from a succession of power that began nearly 500 years before the purported emergence of Jesus Christ: a resident of the Domus Julio-Claudia dynasty.
Naruhito was born in Tokyo, Japan, the world’s most populous city, during the reign of Emperor Shōwa. He became emperor on April 30th, 2019.
1. Xi Jinping
Nationality: Chinese
Occupation: President of the People’s Republic of China
Born in the city of Beijing, Xi is the paramount leader of the People’s Republic of China, the world’s most populous nation. He has become one of the nation’s most powerful leaders since its founder, Mao Zedong.
Xi’s standing on the world stage has been depicted as authoritarian for advocating internet censorship, mass surveillance, and human rights violations.
In 2018, Chinese congressional members sought and implemented the removal of term limits, asserting an indefinite rule of power in China.
