Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is mightier than the pope — at least according to Forbes’ newest ranking of the world’s most powerful movers and shakers.
The magazine yesterday released its list of 71 heavy hitters who hold the most sway over the planet’s 7.1 billion inhabitants based mostly on their wealth and political clout.
Topping the list is a political trio, with President Obama at No. 1, followed by Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Billionaire philanthropist Gates, who is worth $61 billion as America’s richest person, is the fourth-most powerful individual.
Right after him is Pope Benedict XVI, whose vow of poverty means little when compared with the Catholic Church’s reach, real-estate holdings and intimate influence over billions of churchgoers.
Forbes said politics clearly outweigh personal fortunes in the influence game, noting that governments wield immense power with weapons and their currency-printing presses.
Rounding out the top 10 are others with tremendous control over governments and their purse strings: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (No. 6); Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (No. 7); European Central Bank President Mario Draghi (No. 8); China’s Xi Jinping, who has risen to the top of the Communist Party (No. 9); and UK Prime Minister David Cameron (No. 10).
Mayor Bloomberg, dubbed by the mag as “King of New York,” comes in at No. 16, boosted by his status as the 15th richest man in the world.
Forbes’ list also includes a number of movers and shakers in the tech world. The youngest is 28-year-old Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, who fell to 25th place on the list from 10th last year, a reflection in part of Facebook’s disappointing initial stock offering in May.
Google CEO Larry Page and co-founder Sergey Brin, who helps run one of the world’s most valuable tech companies, land at No. 20.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (No. 26), Apple chief Tim Cook (No. 35) and Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer (No. 26) also make the cut. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman rounds out the list at No. 71.
Notable drops from last year’s list include New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson and North Korea’s late leader, Kim Jong Il.
Not all the elite members are particularly well-meaning or even law-abiding. Forbes said the purported head of Mexico’s infamous drug cartel, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, is ranked No 63.