World’s Most Powerful People
I was catching up on my reading backlog and came across a Forbes.com article from a while back titled “The World’s Most Powerful People.” Of course, you see a list like that and you just have to open it. The political leaders of the United States, China and Russia occupy the top three slots — hard to argue too much with that, though if the list came out today, the order might be different. Batting cleanup is Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke — his considerable influence over the global economic recovery effort didn’t keep him from being raked over the coals by Congress during his reappointment hearing. Next comes a run of businessmen — the co-founders of Google, Mexican multibillionaire Carlos Slim, media magnate Rupert Murdoch and then the CEO of Wal-Mart. Rounding out the top 10 are the king of Saudi Arabia and the king of Microsoft. Further down you find the pope (#11), Warren Buffett (#14), the Dalai Lama (#39), Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (#43 — 40 slots below Mr. Putin), Steve Jobs (#57) and International Olympic Committee head Jacques Rogge (#60). Not all on the list are using their power for good — North Korea’s dictator Kim Jung Il (#24), terror leader-in-hiding Osama bin Laden (#37), and Venezuela president and global agitator Hugo Chavez (#67). Who makes these lists and their order is highly subjective and thus open to debate, so let the debate begin. Find Out Who Else Made the List By clicking on the link, you will be directed to Forbes.com. U.S. Global Investors does not endorse all information supplied by this website and is not responsible for its content. The following securities mentioned in the article were held by one or more of U.S. Global Investors family of funds as of 12/31/09: Google, Wal-Mart. #10-112