Russian President Vladimir Putin was named the world's most powerful man in 2016 by Forbes magazine. This is the fourth consecutive year the Russian president has topped the magazine's annual "World's Most Powerful People" list. For the 2016 list, Forbes named 74 people -- out of 7.4 billion on the planet -- whose actions have resonated worldwide over the past year. The list, which "considered hundreds of candidates from various walks of life all around the globe," measured their power along four dimensions: the number of people they have power over, the financial resources at their disposal, whether they have influence on more than one sphere, and how actively they wield their power to influence and change the world. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was ranked second -- a massive jump after being ranked 72nd on Forbes' 2015 list. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in third place on the list, remains the most powerful woman in the world. British Prime Minister Theresa May ranked 13th, while outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama dropped to number 48. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ranked 20th on the list. Other notable entries include Chinese President Xi Jinping (no. 4 on the list); Pope Francis (no. 5); Microsoft founder Bill Gates (7); Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (10); King Salman of Saudi Arabia (16); Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (18); International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde (25); and Apple CEO Tim Cook (32). Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi was ranked 44th; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 56th; Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 57th; and Syrian President Bashar Assad 63rd on the list. U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence was ranked 69th, businessman Sheldon Adelson was ranked 72nd, and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer was last at no. 74. "Forbes' list this year of the world's most powerful people reflects rapid and profound change happening around the globe," David Ewalt, Forbes contributing editor, told The Guardian. "The biggest trend this year is likely the rise to power of Donald Trump, as well as the increasing power of his supporters and allies."
Forbes names Russian president most powerful man in 2016
Vladimir Putin tops magazine's "World's Most Powerful People" list for fourth consecutive year • U.S. President-elect Donald Trump jumps to second place • German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes in third • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ranks 20th.
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