PM Modi among top 10 most powerful people in the world, confirms Forbes
PM Modi among top 10 most powerful people in the world, confirms Forbes Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked 9th among the top 10 most powerful people in the world by Forbes. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who dethroned Russian President Vladimir Putin tops the list for the first time as the most influential person on the planet. “There are nearly 7.5 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 75 men and women make the world turn. Forbes’ annual ranking of The World’s Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million whose actions mean the most,” Forbes said. Modi, 67, is ahead of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg who is ranked 13, United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May (14) and Apple CEO Tim Cook (24). Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of 41.2 billion dollars, is the only other Indian on the power list, ranking 32nd. Forbes said Modi “remains hugely popular” in the second most populous country on earth. “Modi has raised his profile as a global leader in recent years during official visits with US President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. He has also emerged as a key figure in the international effort to tackle climate change, as warming affects millions of his country’s rural citizens,” Forbes said. “This year’s list highlights the consolidation of power in the hands of an elite few,” Forbes said. There are 17 new names on the list this year, including Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud (8), the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. His father remains king, but he has consolidated power beyond any doubt and taken control of the country, Forbes said. Other new members include U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell (11), Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods (34), President of South Korea Moon Jae-in (54) and Special Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice Robert Mueller (72). The list also includes Pope Francis (6), Cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates (7), French President Emmanuel Macron (12), Alibaba Chief Jack Ma (21), CEO and Chairman of Tesla Elon Musk (25), UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (31), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (36), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (57), Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (62), Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (69) and Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (73). -PTC News
