Obama tops Forbes' Most Powerful List

Ben Bernanke, Fed Chairman, Fourth on List; Google Founders, Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates in Top 10

(CBS)  Just in case being president of a United States engaged in two wars and mired in economic difficulties wasn't enough responsibility, Barack Obama was named the world's most powerful man by Forbes magazine.

With just 67 spots on the list, the magazine says it considered these questions before tabbing its all-star team of world powers:

"Do they have influence over lots of other people? Do they control relatively large financial resources compared with their peers? Are they powerful in multiple spheres?"

Rounding out the top 10 are:

- Hu Jintao, president of China

- Vladimir Putin, prime minister of Russia

- Ben Bernanke, chairman of U.S. Federal Reserve

- Sergey Lin and Larry Page, founders of Google

- Carlos Slim Helu, CEO, TelMex

- Rupert Murdoch, chairman, NewsCorp.

- Michael T. Duke, president, CEO of Wal-Mart

- Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, ruler of Saudi Arabia

- William Gates III, founder of Microsoft

Click here for the complete list

[wdh3007]

They left one out George Soros who wants a new currency & hopes the dollar will fail and crumble. A Hungarin immigrant who escaped Hitler during WW2 is now a major billionaire contributor to everything that's anti american.

[PENWEL]

WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE GETTING SOME TRUTH AT LAST. FORBES MAGAZINE TELLS US THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD RUN THE POWER WIND'MILLS THAT GIVE US BREATHE. I WOULD THINK MOST OF THEM NEED BREATHE MINTS. IT IS NO SURPPRISE THAT MONEY BUYS POWER. DURING POLITICAL ELECTIONS, ONE WOULD THINK ALL CONTENDERS WERE POOR LITTLE RICH BOYS/GIRLS ASKING GRANDMA AND GRANDPA TO OPEN THEIR PURSES, AND ALL THE PURSES CONTAIN IS MOTHS. ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS, THE MONEY CHANGERS RULING THE TEMPLES. WITH MANY OF THE TEMPLES GETTING THEIR CUT OF THE SPOILS TOO. MONEY CAN BUY ANYTHING, LIFE AND DEATH. AND THE DIRTY MONEY TREES OF TODAY, SEEM TO BE BUYING MORE DEATH THAN LIFE. (POGO WOULD SAY, "WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE?")...

[us_1776]

[Caps Lock]. Press it. Right above the left [Shift] key.

[newerdeal]

I wish he would use his powers to help all the people.

Not just the rich ones on wall street.

[mijomar-2009]

You mean the like 570,00 some odd folks who are receiving extended unemployment benefits, for the THIRD time, due to his understanding of the bill crunch vs no pay checks? Or maybe you were talking about the 600,000 plus jobs that have been created by State, Counties and Private contractors who have received specaial funds for national and intra state infrastructure projects...They are'nt wall street 'rich ones '...and as a matter a fact, he is absolutely not supportive of the massive 'pay outs' various wall street executives are supposedly receiving...that pay incentive was not his idea, nor the Governments idea...the issue is contract law, a very difficult ruling to break...especially after the fact. So get your facts straight.

[endurorob_5]

A mexican drug lord also made the list.

[mijomar-2009]

probably bought his way in...what else can they do with their money?

[Justme8811]

Yes he is most powerful.....he is destroying this country and the world! That makes him the most powerful.

[skyk-2009]

Justme8811, I sit and watch as this Young Leader tries to deal with the enormous MESS he was left and wonder what kind of creatures would say things like you fools do. When you do manage to dig your way out and gain power again, how do you think you can possibly govern? Do you think we are just going to forget what you people have done? This man hasn't had ONE minutes peace, he hasn't had ONE minute that he hasn't been under attack from the Fringe Right, no even the FIRST day.

[mijomar-2009]

Hey just you...to have made that ridiculous comment, either you must have a Republican holding a gun to your head or you're brain dead already.

[choptopford]

KING WHO

[revlin1]

HUH? Powerful what? Pacifist and terrorist sympathizer? I guess the Saudis are at it again....LOL

[chitown639]

Well, that's no surprise...of course Obama is the most powerful man on earth....he's president on the United States of America!!!!

[PaGuy1960]

Who did Obama pay off for this. The same people that gave him the nobel peace prize?

[bubbadubba]

Am I at the only American worried about Gates and Murdoch having town hall meetings like they are the President and Vice President?
Well actually they (and their wealthy friends) do manipulate and control the US so I guess it is appropriate.
WAKE UP AMERICA.
America- country in a coma.

[bcpats]

So, obama is on the "most powerful list"........ yes I guess he is..... well, he and his self obsessed leaders of the house and senate. He now is the leader of the pack, using his 'power' to entrench US in the worst economic situation for decades. He is revelling in the semblance of power.

Gates and Murdoch are powerful in their own right, but doubt very much if they are having 'town hall' meetings. Maybe board meetings where they can try and strategize ways to fend off their and the country's demise.

[mijomar-2009]

hey Bubbaboy...when you're not busy snorting drugs, take the time to do a bit of research and discover how many billions of dollars these two 'rich guys ' have given away to U.S. charities and the poor nations of the world, thats a B...as in Billions, donated, free beeee...'here ya go' bucks !! Maybe Bubba's in a coma ??!!

[us_1776]

Those billions they donate are your money *******. Money that you overpaid due to their monopolies. Rupert Murdoch is particularly scary. This Australian extremist is on a corporate power trip to gobble up everything in sight. He is intentionally trying to destabilize the political situation in both the US and UK so that prices will fall even further in the chaos.