Forbes
"I love power. But it is as an artist that I love it. I love it as a musician loves his violin, to draw out its sounds and chords and harmonies." — Napoleon Bonaparte
Power has been called many things. The ultimate aphrodisiac. An absolute corrupter. A mistress. A violin. But its true nature remains elusive. After all, a head of state wields a very different sort of power than a religious figure. Can one really compare the influence of a journalist to that of a terrorist? And is power unexercised power at all?
1. Barack Obama
Presides over world’s largest, most innovative, most dynamic economy.
Commander-in-chief of planet’s richest, deadliest military.
Finger on button of nuclear arsenal containing more than 5,000 warheads.
Head-of-state of world’s sole superpower.
His Democrats have majorities in both U.S. House and Senate.
Recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize, apparently for general awesomeness.
2. Hu Jintao
Paramount political leader of more people than anyone else on the planet; 1.3 billion Chinese, some 70% in their prime working years of ages 15 to 64 powering world’s low-cost workshop, transforming nation.
Biggest buyer of U.S. debt avoided Chinese meltdown during financial crisis with massive stimulus package to encourage domestic spending.
"Coming-out party" at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games showcased young, modern, harmonious society; reality often quite different — few political, religious, press freedoms; brutal suppression of Tibet; refusal to acknowledge Taiwanese independence.
Still, credible estimates have China poised to overtake U.S. as world’s largest economy in 25 years — although, crucially, not on a per-capita basis.
3. Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister might as well be known as Czar, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russians.
Vastly more powerful than his handpicked head-of-state, President Dmitry Medvedev.
Presides over one-ninth of Earth’s land area, vast energy and mineral resources.
Former KGB officer unafraid to wield his power; invading Georgia, cutting off natural gas supplies to Ukraine or Western Europe (again).
Declared nuclear power has veto on U.N.’s Security Council.
"I’m deeply convinced that constant change is not for the better."
4. Ben S. Bernanke
Former chairman of Princeton’s economics department and noted Great Depression scholar now guiding world’s largest economy through Great Recession; has overseen massive growth in Fed’s balance sheet, from less than $900 billion in liabilities in August 2008 to more than $2.1 trillion today.
With federal funds rate now effectively 0%, the so-called Bernanke Doctrine calls for using monetary policy to stave off deflation.
"The U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press, that allows it to produce as many dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost."
5. Sergey Brin and Larry Page
If knowledge is power, maybe information is too. Brainy duo met in Stanford computer science Ph.D. program, now trying to put all the world’s information at your fingertips.
Known for collecting best and brightest young tech talent at Mountain View, Calif., "Googleplex"; employees encouraged to spend one day a week on personal projects; company often named "Best Place To Work" in America.
Google guys’ combined net worth of $30.6 billion would place them third on the Forbes 400.
Yet despite professed intentions to "do no evil," Google is blamed in some quarters for decimating traditional publishing, journalism. Brin: "Some say Google is God, others say Google is Satan."
MB: To see the full list of Forbes top 50 most powerful people of 2009 click here.
Source:http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/108139/the-worlds-most-powerful-people-2009?mod=career-leadership
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