1.Hu Jintao

* Age: 68
* Title: President
* Organization: People’s Republic of China
* Residence: Beijing, China
* Country of citizenship: China
* Marital Status: Married

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Paramount political leader of more people than anyone else on the planet; exercises near dictatorial control over 1.3 billion people, one-fifth of world’s population. Unlike Western counterparts, Hu can divert rivers, build cities, jail dissidents and censor Internet without meddling from pesky bureaucrats, courts. Recently surpassed Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy both in absolute and purchasing power terms. 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. Creditor nation oversees world’s largest reserves at $2.65 trillion–$1.5 trillion of which is in U.S. dollar holdings. Refuses to kowtow to U.S. pressure to change its exchange-rate regime. Heads world’s largest army (in size). His handpicked successor, Xi Jinping, set to assume the presidency in 2012.

2. Barack Obama

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Powerful People: November 2010
* Celebrity 100: July 2009

Obama’s Democrats suffered a mighty blow in U.S. midterm elections, with the president decisively losing support of the House of Representatives, and barely holding onto the Senate. It’s quite a come-down for last year’s most powerful person, who after enacting widespread reforms in his first two years in office will be hard-pressed to implement his agenda in the next two. He can take comfort in the fact that he remains commander-in-chief of world’s largest, deadliest military, leader of world’s largest (in spending) and most dynamic economy and holds the unofficial title of “Leader of the Free World.”

3. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud

* Age: 86
* Title: King
* Organization: Saudi Arabia
* Residence: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* Country of citizenship: Saudi Arabia
* Marital Status: Married

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Absolute ruler of desert kingdom that contains the world’s largest crude oil reserves, two holiest sites in Islam. State-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco has reserves of 266 billion barrels, or one-fifth of planet’s known supply (worth $22 trillion at today’s oil prices). Pushing for gradual social and legal reforms, while maintaining good relations with deeply conservative religious establishment. Ultimate succession unclear: 86-year-old king’s official heir is 82-year-old Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. Established committee of senior princes to ensure smooth transition in the event both become incapacitated.

4. Vladimir Putin

Prime Minister still more powerful than his handpicked head-of-state, President Dmitry Medvedev. Former KGB officer will likely replace protégé in 2012. In the meantime, has final say over one-ninth of Earth’s land area, vast energy and mineral resources. Declared nuclear power has veto on U.N.’s Security Council. Russian government agency reported to have already registered web address Putin-2012.rf. On running again: “The president of the United States, Roosevelt, was elected four times in a row because it did not contradict the American Constitution” (September 2010).

5. Pope Benedict XVI

* Age: 83
* Title: Pope
* Organization: Roman Catholic Church
* Residence: Vatican City
* Country of citizenship: Germany
* Marital Status: Single

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Highest earthly authority for 1.1 billion souls, or one-sixth of world’s population. Staunch traditionalist deplores secularism, consumerism and moral relativism, unbending on birth control, gay marriage and ordination of female priests. Despite major gaffes (including lifting the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying Bishop and quoting a 14th-century source that declared the only new things the prophet Mohammed brought were “evil and inhuman”), appears genuinely interested in healing old wounds. In September, not only became the first Pope to visit Westminster Abbey since the Protestant Reformation, but also shook hands with a clergywoman (another first). Widening sexual abuse scandal could undermine moral authority, but increasingly willing to tackle issue head on: “Forgiveness does not substitute for justice.” Stylish: Has brought back traditional red, custom-made “pope shoes” and old-school Ecclesiastical headgear.

6. Angela Merkel

* Age: 56
* Title: Chancellor
* Organization: Germany
* Residence: Berlin, Germany
* Country of citizenship: Germany
* Marital Status: Married

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Powerful People: November 2010
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Most powerful woman on the planet. Chancellor of Germany oversees Europe’s largest economy. Renowned free-market champion and favorite of big business, boasts nine public companies with annual sales in excess of $70 billion. In all, there are 57 German companies on the Forbes Global 2000 ranking of the world’s largest public companies, with aggregate sales of $1.7 trillion.

7. David Cameron

* Age: 44
* Title: Prime Minister
* Organization: United Kingdom
* Residence: London, United Kingdom
* Country of citizenship: United Kingdom
* Marital Status: Married

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Youngest British prime minister in 198 years is product of privilege: Eton, Brasenose College, Oxford; is descended (illegitimately) from King William IV. Hailed by some as the second coming of Margaret Thatcher, Cameron shares the Iron Lady’s determination to slash government expenditures (defense, higher education), but as the leader of a coalition government he can ill-afford to repeat her brash divisiveness.

8. Ben Bernanke

* Age: 57
* Title: Chairman
* Organization: Federal Reserve
* Residence: Washington, DC
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 2

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Some argue Fed’s influence is at all-time high, given size of its burgeoning balance sheet ($2.3 trillion) relative to the underlying economy ($14.3 trillion). But Bernanke’s options have waned since peak of the financial crisis. He now has essentially only one arrow left in his financial quiver: quantitative easing–in layman’s terms, “printing money.” He last employed the technique in 2008 and is widely expected to repeat the move this month. At least he’s honest: “The U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press, that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost.”

9. Sonia Gandhi

* Age: 64
* Title: President
* Organization: Indian National Congress
* Residence: New Delhi, India
* Country of citizenship: India
* Marital Status: Widow

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Despite Italian birth, foreign religion (Roman Catholic) and political reluctance, Gandhi wields unequaled influence over 1.2 billion Indians. Recently elected to record fourth term as head of India’s ruling Congress Party, cementing status as true heiress to the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty. Handpicked brainy Sikh economist Manmohan Singh (also a listee) as prime minister. Inspired choice: Singh universally praised as India’s best prime minister since Nehru, ideally trained to lead the world’s fourth-largest economy in terms of purchasing power into next decade. But Gandhi remains the real power behind the nuclear-tipped throne. Grooming 40-year-old son Rahul for prime minister role.

10. Bill Gates

Net Worth $54B
* Age: 55
* Title: Co-Chair
* Organization: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
* Source: Microsoft, self-made
* Residence: Medina, WA
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: Dropout, Harvard University
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 3

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Powerful People: November 2010
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* Forbes 400: October 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006

Selling charity raffle tickets is hard; coaxing tycoons to pledge half their fortunes to philanthropy is near impossible. Apparently no one told Gates. This year the Microsoft mogul, futurist and America’s richest person strong-armed (with help from henchman Warren Buffett) 40 of the world’s wealthiest to sign his “Giving Pledge,” promising to donate the majority of their wealth to charity during their lifetimes. No longer the planet’s richest person, but that’s because he’s given nearly $30 billion philanthropically. World’s most influential charity tackles AIDS, tuberculosis, polio and funds famine-resistant crops to fight hunger. Worth $54 billion, Gates holds 70% of his wealth in investment fund Cascade, dabbling in everything from autos to hedge funds to trash collecting.

11. Zhou Xiaochuan

Age: 63
Title: Governor
Organization: People’s Bank of China
Residence: Beijing, China
Country of citizenship: China
Marital Status: Married

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

All eyes now on governor of China’s $3.7 trillion central bank to avert all-out currency war. Zhou, overseer of world’s largest foreign-exchange reserves, won’t kowtow to mounting Western pressure to revalue China’s artificially low currency and change its exchange-rate regime. Reports of a record increase in China’s reserves and a near record haul for Chinese exporters last September has increased global jitters. Conflict will take center stage at G-20 Summit in Seoul.

12. Dmitry Medvedev

* Age: 45
* Title: President
* Organization: Russia
* Residence: Moscow, Russia
* Country of citizenship: Russia
* Marital Status: Married

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Putin still pulls the puppet strings, but the junior member of Russia’s ruling tandem is finally showing signs of independence: He sacked Moscow’s powerful mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, in September after he implied Putin was a better president; announced Russia would be building Venezuela’s first nuclear power plant with anti-American ranter Hugo Chavez; awarded Kremlin’s top medal of honor to 10 Russian spies after U.S. exposed and ejected them. Doe-eyed former law professor determined to bring Russia out of dark age: Vowed to break Russian dependence on natural resources; ordered firing of 10,000 cops, warned police to stop “terrorizing” private business owners; opened Twitter account for the always communicatively challenged Kremlin Hard rock music aficionado lists Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd as favorite bands.

13. Rupert Murdoch

Net Worth $6.2B
Age: 79
Title: CEO
Organization: News Corp.
Source: News Corp, self-made
Residence: New York, NY
Country of citizenship: United States
Education: BA/BS, Oxford University; MA, Oxford University
Marital Status: Married

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Forbes 400: October 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* Forbes 400: October 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006

When the president of the United States calls a piece of your empire “ultimately destructive,” that’s power. News Corp. leader built worldwide empire that straddles news and entertainment, holding hundreds of millions of eyeballs captive. While media outlets around the world crumble Rupe’s empire is at the forefront of content innovation. In entertainment: James Cameron’s Avatar helped Fox film division earn a record quarterly profit of $497 million. In news: his Wall Street Journal continues to wage war on the Gray Lady; paper recently debuted New York City section, announced new book reviews. Newsman grew wealthier by $200 million over past year, bringing net worth to $6.2 billion.

14. Silvio Berlusconi

Net Worth $9B

* Age: 74
* Title: Prime Minister
* Organization: Italy
* Source: media, self-made
* Residence: Milan, Italy
* Country of citizenship: Italy
* Education: JD, University of Milan
* Marital Status: Divorced
* Children: 5

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Billionaires: February 2003
* Billionaires: February 2002

Say what you will about Italy’s colorful prime minister, but Berlusconi still runs the show. Survived September confidence vote by wide margin, nipping talk of preemptive elections. Media monopolist owns three television networks outright, controls three others through state. Also magazines, newspapers, advertising agencies. Beyond politics and publishing, sports: His AC Milan is one of the world’s premier soccer teams. Former cruise ship crooner co-wrote team’s anthem himself. Still the self-proclaimed “Jesus Christ of Italian politics” sustained massive blows this year: A man broke his nose and teeth with a statue of Milan’s cathedral last December, and his recent Holocaust quip was lambasted by the Vatican, a former friend.

15. Jean-Claude Trichet

# Age: 68
# Title: President
# Organization: European Central Bank
# Residence: Frankfurt, Germany
# Country of citizenship: France

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Powerful People: November 2010

Oversees monetary policy for 16 countries constituting Eurozone– now world’s largest unified economy ($16.2 trillion GDP vs. $14.3 trillion for U.S.). But Trichet’s been hampered by ongoing problems with PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Spain). Reputation as fierce inflation-fighter damaged when he bent (rather, broke) ECB rules and bought government bonds from weakest Euro countries in the midst of Greece financial crisis in May.

16. Dilma Rousseff

* Age: 63
* Title: President
* Organization: Brazil
* Residence: Brasilia, Brazil
* Country of citizenship: Brazil
* Education: BA/BS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
* Marital Status: Divorced
* Children: 1

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Powerful People: November 2010
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Lula’s handpicked successor is taking on the reigns as Brazil’s first female president. Her victory wasn’t the slam dunk originally expected on the first round at the polls, but on October 31 she beat her opponent with 56% of the votes. As Brazil’s newly elected president Rousseff will run Latin America’s largest economy and world’s pantry: top exporter of sugar, orange juice, coffee, beef, poultry. Up to task: Former Marxist guerrilla was once jailed and tortured, twice divorced and recently survived lymphatic cancer. Not yet a household name, but will be soon, as Brazil gears up to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

17. Steve Jobs

Net Worth $6.1 B

* Age: 55
* Title: CEO
* Organization: Apple
* Source: Apple, Pixar, self-made
* Residence: Palo Alto, CA
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: Dropout, Reed College
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 4

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Powerful People: November 2010
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* Billionaires: March 2010
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* Forbes 400: September 2009
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* Forbes 400: October 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* Forbes 400: October 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006

Insanely creative Apple cofounder transforms multibillion-dollar industry every few years. First, personal computers with Apple II, Macintosh; then film with Pixar; music (iTunes), mobile (iPhone). Now iPad is treated as messiah tablet, savior for publishing industry. Apple still sells computers, but twice as much revenue now comes from music distribution and hand-held devices. Shot past long-time rival Microsoft as world’s most valuable tech company in May. Recently dined with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg, sparking rumors the two may partner on Ping, Apple’s new music social networking site. Known for his competitive streak, he dismissed Samsung and Dell’s new tablets as “DOA, dead on arrival.” Taunted journalists’ Dell laptops at October Apple event: “Look at all those fat notebooks.”

18. Manmohan Singh

* Age: 78
* Title: Prime Minister
* Organization: India
* Residence: New Delhi, India
* Country of citizenship: India
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 3

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Soft-spoken Oxford-trained economist credited with transforming India’s quasi-socialist economy into world’s second-fastest growing. Enjoying fruits of free-market policies he implemented as India’s finance minister in early 1990s. World Bank forecasts India’s GDP will surge 7.6% in 2010, another 8% in 2011; not far behind its 9% forecast for China. Speaking of: “Slow and steady will win the race.”

19. Nicolas Sarkozy

* Age: 56
* Title: President
* Organization: France
* Residence: Paris, France
* Country of citizenship: France
* Marital Status: Married

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

While France remains indisputably powerful–declared nuclear power, permanent member of the U.N. security council, ninth largest economy in terms of purchasing power–its diminutive president is struggling. His approval rating, affected by everything from his forced deportation of Gypsies to a series of embarrassments perpetuated by his ex-supermodel wife, Carla Bruni, is now firmly below 30%, the lowest since his he took office. Still Sarkozy is standing tough on raising the retirement age (to 62) and pension reform, provoking predictable Gallic responses: National strikes and even lower approval ratings.

20. Hillary Clinton

* Age: 63
* Title: Secretary of State
* Organization: United States of America
* Residence: Washington, DC
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: BA/BS, Wellesley College; LLM, Yale University
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 1

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Powerful People: November 2010
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Former first lady and U.S. senator has been careful not to let her international celebrity outshine that of her boss. Two now said to have excellent working relationship, so good that inside-the-beltway gossips whisper her name as a possible replacement for hapless U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in 2012. Despite fashion “sense” that leans towards pantsuits, blinding colors, now America’s most popular politician, with favorability rating nine percentage points higher than Obama’s.

21. Carlos Slim Helu

Net Worth $53.5 B

* Age: 71
* Title: Chairman
* Organization: Telmex
* Source: telecom, self-made
* Residence: Mexico City, Mexico
* Country of citizenship: Mexico
* Education: BA/BS, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
* Marital Status: Widow
* Children: 6

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Billionaires: February 2004
* Billionaires: February 2003
* Billionaires: February 2002

The world’s richest man has lately fattened his fortune and tightened his grip on businesses throughout South America. His cellphone company America Movil completed its tender offer for his Telmex International and part of his fixed line outfit Telmex. Has 220 million users in region, 55 million in Mexico where he controls 67% of cellphone market and 78% of fixed-lines. Recently offered $2.6 billion to increase his ownership in a leading Brazilian cable company. Also has interests in construction, finance, retail, mining, cigarettes (sits on the board of Philip Morris). Loaned $250 million to the New York Times in 2009. Paid $140 million for office building on New York¹s Fifth Avenue this year. Partners with Bill Clinton to provide charitable services in Latin America, Haiti; with Bill Gates and Spain to fight health problems in Mexico, Central America.

22. Larry Page

Net Worth $15 B

* Age: 37
* Title: Co-Founder
* Organization: Google
* Source: Google, self-made
* Residence: Palo Alto, CA
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: MS, Stanford University; BA/BS, University of Michigan
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 1

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Powerful People: November 2010
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* Billionaires: March 2010
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* Forbes 400: September 2009
* Billionaires: March 2008
* Forbes 400: October 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* Forbes 400: October 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006

If knowledge is power, maybe information is too. Page met co-founder Sergey Brin in Stanford computer science Ph.D. program, now the brainy duo are trying to put all the world’s information at your fingertips. Combined net worth of $30 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.”

22. Sergey Brin

Net Worth $15 B

* Age: 37
* Title: Co-Founder
* Organization: Google
* Source: Google, self-made
* Residence: San Francisco, CA
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: MS, Stanford University; BA/BS, University of Maryland
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 1

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Powerful People: November 2010
* Forbes 400: September 2010
* Billionaires: March 2010
* Billionaires: March 2009
* Forbes 400: September 2009
* Billionaires: March 2008
* Forbes 400: October 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* Forbes 400: October 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006

If knowledge is power, maybe information is too. Brin met co-founder Larry Page in Stanford computer science Ph.D. program, now the brainy duo are trying to put all the world’s information at your fingertips. Combined net worth of $30 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.”

23. Michael Bloomberg

Net Worth $18 B

* Age: 68
* Title: Mayor
* Organization: New York City
* Source: Bloomberg, self-made
* Residence: New York, NY
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: MBA, Harvard University; BA/BS, Johns Hopkins University
* Marital Status: Divorced
* Children: 2

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Powerful People: November 2010
* Forbes 400: September 2010
* Billionaires: March 2010
* Billionaires: March 2009
* Forbes 400: September 2009
* Billionaires: March 2008
* Forbes 400: October 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* Forbes 400: October 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006

New York’s mayor pays himself a $1 salary, rides subway often and reportedly owns only two pairs of loafers for work. Also 10th richest man in America and country’s richest politician, thanks to namesake multibillion-dollar data firm, up 10% in revenues this year. Started Bloomberg LP after being fired from Salomon Brothers in 1982 (“Living well is the best revenge”). Now worth $18 billion, though he pledged the bulk to charity this year. Recently hit headlines for impassioned defense of so-called Ground Zero Mosque: “There is no neighborhood in this city that is off-limits to God’s love and mercy.”

24. Benjamin Netanyahu

* Age: 61
* Title: Prime Minister
* Organization: Israel
* Residence: Jerusalem, Israel
* Country of citizenship: Israel
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 3

Profile
Powerful People: November 2010

Second-term hawk insists he’s committed to permanent Palestinian peace treaty, but prospects for peace diminishing. Between a rock and a hard place: Losing political capital abroad after snubbing Obama’s recent call to freeze Jewish settlements. Facing rebellion back home as his right-wing coalition regards any concession on settlements as cause for dismissal. Still, as leader of an undeclared nuclear power, Netanyahu remains the biggest menace to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Israeli press recently leaked Netanyahu’s “list of millionaires”: U.S. donors he solicited for 2007 campaign efforts, including Steve Ballmer and Rupert Murdoch.

25. Michael Duke

* Age: 61
* Title: CEO
* Organization: Wal-Mart
* Residence: Rogers, AR
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 3

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Powerful People: November 2010

Runs world’s biggest company–closer to a country than company: Largest private-sector employer in U.S., $417 billion in annual sales (LTM), more than 2 million employees, 8,650 stores. Headaches: To keep Wall Street happy, Duke will have to bump profits by $3.7 billion over next five years. Not easy with high unemployment, rising gas prices slowing sales in U.S. Duke, former head of Wal-Mart’s international operations, turned focus overseas: Bought controlling stake in Chile’s largest grocer last year; now courting Africa, where Duke proposed buying Massmart, the continent’s third-largest retailer. Going green: “Beast of Bentonville” announced plans to cut 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by end of 2015.

26. Warren Buffett

Net Worth $45 B

* Age: 80
* Title: CEO
* Organization: Berkshire Hathaway
* Source: Berkshire Hathaway, self-made
* Residence: Omaha, NE
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: MS, Columbia University; BA/BS, University of Nebraska Lincoln
* Marital Status: Widowed, Remarried
* Children: 3

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Forbes 400: October 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* Forbes 400: October 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006

Moves markets. Encouraging New York Times op-ed, along with billion-dollar bets in General Electric and Goldman Sachs, helped ease financial fears in eye of credit storm. Lords over Berkshire Hathaway, market cap $205 billion. Conglomerate controls fast food, furniture, insurance, railroads and holds extensive investments in public companies. With bridge partner Bill Gates pressuring billionaires to pledge half their fortunes to charity. Buffett himself giving away 99% of wealth and wants it spent within 10 years of his death, but octogenarian has no plans of leaving just yet.

27. Mark Zuckerberg

Net Worth $6.9 B

* Age: 26
* Title: Founder
* Organization: Facebook
* Source: Facebook, self-made
* Residence: Palo Alto, CA
* Country of citizenship: United States
* Education: Dropout, Harvard University
* Marital Status: Single

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* Powerful People: November 2010
* Forbes 400: September 2010
* Billionaires: March 2010
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“Zuck” runs network of 600 million “friends” who announce births, deaths, breakups, geopolitical revolutions, share photos and harvest squash 30 billion times a month. Site is second-most-visited worldwide, after Google; users spend over 700 billion minutes per month with site. Harvard dropout even runs his own monetary system–Facebook Credits–to facilitate transactions. Personal fortune soared $4.9 billion this year to $6.9 billion as private equity outfits stumbled over each other to buy stock at soaring valuations–at last count the company was valued at $23 billion (Illiquid private shares in secondary markets point higher). Said to end meetings with fist pump and chants of “Domination!” Interests (per Facebook page): minimalism, revolutions and “eliminating desire.”

28. Bernard Arnault

Net Worth $27.5 B

* Age: 61
* Title: Chairman
* Organization: Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH)
* Source: LVMH, inherited and growing
* Residence: Paris, France
* Country of citizenship: France
* Education: BA/BS, Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 5

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Powerful People: November 2010
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Arbiter of good taste tells luxury market what’s up. Majority 47% stake in LVMH gives Arnault control of world’s elite brands: Dom Pérignon, Dior, Tag Heuer, to name a few. Fed longstanding rumors last month when he announced purchase of a 17.1% stake in Hermès; industry watchers have long predicted a takeover bid. Net worth of $39 billion makes him France’s richest man. Also, unofficial ambassador for France, Inc.: Dispatched to China to stymie Chinese boycott of French goods in wake of 2008 Olympic protests. In spare time: classically trained pianist, avid tennis player and devoted art lover.

29. Lakshmi Mittal

Net Worth $28.7 B

* Age: 60
* Title: Chairman
* Organization: ArcelorMittal ADS
* Source: Steel, inherited and growing
* Residence: London, United Kingdom
* Country of citizenship: India
* Education: BA/BS, St Xavier’s College Calcutta
* Marital Status: Married
* Children: 2

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Powerful People: November 2010
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* India’s Richest: November 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* India’s Richest: November 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006
* Billionaires: March 2005

Indian citizen and London’s wealthiest resident lords over world’s largest steel company, ArcelorMittal, with operations in 60 countries. Company produces 73 million tons of steel, 8% of world’s output; one out of five cars in world is made with its materials. Sponsoring London’s 2012 Olympic games; paying for most of a 400-foot twisting steel tower to be named ArcelorMittal Orbit at city’s Olympic Park. Through his foundation, helping groom Indian athletes for the Olympics and other championship events.

30. Li Ka-shing

Net Worth $21 B

* Age: 82
* Title: Chairman
* Organization: Hutchison Whampoa & Chueng Kong Holdings
* Source: Diversified, self-made
* Residence: Hong Kong
* Country of citizenship: Hong Kong
* Education: Dropout, High School
* Marital Status: Widow
* Children: 2

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* Hong Kong’s Richest: January 2008
* Billionaires: March 2007
* Billionaires: March 2006
* Billionaires: March 2005

Even China’s president knows how powerful “Superman” is. When two met in September, Hu (see) said he hoped Li, richest person in greater China, would continue to “exercise his influence to promote Hong Kong’s increased cooperation with Guangdong and Shenzhen.” World’s leading investor and operator of ports, conglomerate handles 14% of global container throughput; currently has land bank of 246 million square feet around world; provides electricity to Hong Kong and leads consortium that has bought Electricite de France’s ownership in its U.K. Network for $9 billion. Asia’s most generous person calls philanthropy “third son;” has given away $1.56 billion.