Being able to influence people is an important skill in the real world which allows you to help people to do better or encourage them to see things from your point of view. Although this influence can be either positive or negative, it is necessary to spot the influencers. But, discovering who can influence other people is an age-old marketing tool. Even now, companies are digging out valuable information by mapping networks of influence including inside and outside their organizations.
While some famous people are continuously pushing boundaries to remain in the list, others are working hard to make the list, whereas as some other, don’t have to struggle at all to remain on the list or to influence people. The Time magazine made public its list of 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2017, which includes everyone from politicians to comedians to pop culture icons to models and even terrorists. Note that this is the 14th annual list of 100 most influential people in the world by the magazine. In this year’s list as always, we spot famous people struggling for the spots.
The bottom line is that these influencers now play a huge role in the lifestyle of many other people. As celebrities grow broader, bigger and more global – as they expand across distances, borders, cultures, and functionalities – so do their potentials of influencing the world. Thanks to Times as this kind of knowledge can be very important to a particular industry’s or company’s efficiency, especially when bringing change. Read on to see who these boundary breakers are.
Here Are The 100 Most Influential People In The World
1. Biram Dah Abeid
Abeid is a 53-year-old Mauritanian politician and activist who has been recognized for his fight for social justice and the rights of people.
2. David Adjaye
Adjaye is a 51-year-old Ghanaian British architect who has gotten international recognition thanks to his wonderful designs such as the most acclaimed National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington.
3. Riz Ahmed
Also known as Riz MC, Ahmed is a British actor, rapper and activist. He has been recognized for his passion in what he is doing as well as activism for children. He is 35 years old.
4. Thelma Aldana
Thelma is the Attorney General of Guatemala. The 62-year-old woman is a winner of the International Women of Courage Award and she got named for her fight against corruption which has led to the resignation of their president.
5. James Allison
Having survived cancer and losing some of his family members to cancer, Allison decided to be an immunologist and his effort has made a huge way forward towards curing cancer.
6. Guillem Anglada-Escudé, Natalie Batalha, and Michaël Gillon
These astronomers have been recognized for many things in helping humans understand the universe. Their major work is in discovering an earth sized planet.
7. Julian Assange
Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks and has remained one of the most important whistle-blowers in the United States.
8. Margaret Atwood
Atwood is a 78-year-old novelist who has used her works in fighting for things she believes in.
9. Stephen Bannon
Bannon is the former White House Chief Strategist who is seen as one of the most influential people in the victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 elections.
10. Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista
She is an activist who is recognized for her organization of women in Peru against the maltreatment of women. The movement later spread to many places in Latin America.
11. Samantha Bee
Bee is a comedian, actress, writer and a lot of other things. She has used all her influence to help women in every way possible, and that is one of the things most appreciated about her.
12. Fatou Bensouda
A Gambian lawyer who is also a Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, she was born on 31 January 1961. She has played an important role in the global justice system.
13. Jeff Bezos
Amazon CEO and the world’s richest man, 2017 saw Bezos rise above Bill Gates as the richest man in the world.
14. Simone Biles
Born on 14 March 1997, Biles is an American gymnast who many have come to consider as one of the best ever. Apart from being a gymnast, she is seen as someone who is very strong and courageous.
15. Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour
These women are highly recognized for being the organizers of the Women’s March which has become a very big movement.
16. Jason Blum
Blum is a 48-year-old director and producer as well as the CEO of Blumhouse.
17. Tom Brady
One of the greatest football players and quarterback for the New England Patriots. He has been recognized as the greatest quarterbacks ever. At the age of 40, he is still very important in the game.
18. Gretchen Carlson
Born on June 21, 1966, Carlson is an advocate for workplace equality as well as a former Fox News anchor. She is known for her efforts, most especially against sexual harassment.
19. Chance the Rapper
Chance is a Grammy-winning American rapper who was born on April 16, 1993.
20. George Church
Church is a 63-year-old geneticist, molecular engineer and chemist who is one of the most important people when it comes to gene editing.
21. James Comey
Comey was the director of the FBI until he got fired by Donald Trump. He is believed to be very important in the outcome of the US elections.
22. James Corden
Corden is the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden. He was born on 22 August 1978 and he is well beloved in both America and England for his talent and comedy.
23. Viola Davis
Viola is a powerful actress and producer who emerged as the first black woman to earn 3 Academy Awards nominations. This is not the first time that she was named one of Most Influential People in the world.
24. Rodrigo Duterte
Duterte is President of the Philippines. Although he hasn’t been without his own controversies, he has also emerged as one of the people with much influence in 2017.
25. Ava DuVernay
An award-winning movie director, DuVernay has had much impact through her productions including a prison 13th which is her prison documentary.
26. Daniel Ek
Born on 21 February 1983, Ek is the co-founder and CEO of Spotify. His platform has changed the way music is consumed.
27. Donald Trump
While the name of the President of the United States didn’t come without its controversies, he still got a place as one of the most influential people of 2017.
28. Ivanka Trump
Just as her father, Ivanka who also doubles as White House special assistant made the list. She is also a businesswoman and a wife to Jared Kushner who is Trump’s senior advisor.
29. Xi Jinping
Listed as the runner-up in the man of the year, Jinping is the President of the People’s Republic of China and the General Secretary of the Communist Party. In 2017, he was able to cement his hold on power and may end as the most powerful politician the country has ever seen.
30. Janet Yellen
An economist and the first woman to be the chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, Yellen who is 71 years old has emerged in the list of its firsts.
31. Yuriko Koike
Tokyo’s governor, Koike made it to the list as a result of her contributions in politics of Japan as well as her vision for the future. Apart from politics, the 65-year-old woman has also made a mark in business.
32. Theo Epstein
Theo is the president of baseball operations, Chicago Cubs. Born on December 29, 1973, he was only 28 when he was hired by Boston Red Sox, making him the youngest manager in the history of Major League Baseball.
33. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Erdoğan is the President of Turkey. Before reaching the height, the man served as the Mayor of Istanbul before moving on to serve as the prime minister. He has been president since 2014.
34. Fan Bingbing
Bingbing is a Chinese actress who is one of the most paid actors in the world. Apart from being a great actress, she is also a businesswoman as well as a philanthropist.
35. Bob Ferguson
As the Attorney General of Washington, Ferguson has been able to make some great impacts but one of the most significant was his ability to get a lawsuit that stopped Trump’s first travel ban that was aimed at Muslim-dominated countries.
36. Melinda Gates
As the wife of one of the richest and most influential people in the world, Melinda is a philanthropist who has championed cases for women and girls as well as children.
37. Donald Glover
A Grammy Award-winning singer, Glover is an actor, writer, and rapper among many other things. He is a hard worker who has earned a lot of respect over the years for his many works.
38. Ashley Graham
Ashley is a 30-year-old American model. The beautiful woman is a symbol of beauty and self-acceptance.
39. Glenda Gray
Gray is a physician and researcher who is well known for her work on HIV virus. Her work also dealt with protecting the many children she saw dying from the virus and her entire work has seen to the cut in the number of deaths from HIV in South Africa by over 400,000 in South Africa.
40. Kirsten Green
Green is the founder of Forerunner Ventures and has been regarded by Forbes magazine as one of the most powerful people in the world in 2017.
41. Gavin Grimm
A transgender activist who has sued the Gloucester County School Board after he was not allowed to use the boys’ bathroom. Even after he left the school, he kept pursuing the case towards protecting transgender kids.
42. Demis Hassabis
Born on 27 July 1976, Hassabis is an artificial intelligence pioneer who has been regarded for his many developments that include games and many things in the neuroscience.
43. LeBron James
LeBron is an American basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has not only won many medals but is also breaking records as he does that.
44. Barry Jenkins
Jenkins is a director, producer, and screenwriter who has won many accolades for his works that have been described as great and impactful.
See Also: 100 Most Influential Africans: Ten Kenyans Including CJ David Maraga Listed
45. Leslie Jones
Among the most influential people is Jones is a comedian and she is popular for her appearance on Late Night Live. She also doubles as an actress.
46. Colin Kaepernick
Kaepernick is an American football player who was highly influential in his fight against police brutality in the US as well as racism. He has been a champion of kneeling to the national anthem before NFL games which has drawn mixed reactions.
47. Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys has remained one of the most respected singers for a very long time. A Grammy-winning singer, Keys has become one of the most influential people for more than once and she has influenced R&B greatly.
48. Kim Jong Un
The Supreme Leader of North Korea, Un is seen as one of the strongest people in the world. He has been the leader of North Korea since 2011 and is seen as one of the most dangerous people in the world.
49. Jared Kushner
Kushner is Donald Trump’s son-in-law and White House senior adviser. Born on 10 January 1981, Kushner has been in politics for some time, and he has also been a businessman.
50. John Legend
Legend is a Grammy-winning singer, a songwriter who is extremely talented and hardworking. He is highly regarded among the best in the music world.
51. John Lewis
Lewis is a US Congressman for 5th District of Georgia. Was born on 21 February 1940 and is highly respected as a civil rights leader.
52. Leila de Lima
A human rights activist and politician, Leila is a Philippine opposition senator who has strongly opposed the president and his drug war which has led to her arrest by the government.
53. Jean Liu
Also known as Liu Qing, she is a Chinese businesswoman who is the president of Didi Chuxing. It is the largest mobile transportation platform in the country.
54. Vladimir Putin
The President of Russia, Putin is seen as one of the strongest men in the world and he is believed to have played a role in influencing different elections in the world including America.
55. Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is a singer, songwriter who has become highly respected for his arts. He is a Grammy-winning singer.
56. Demi Lovato
Lovato is a singer and an actress. She was born on August 20, 1992, and has received a lot of accolades for her music and acting.
57. Barbara Lynch
Being only the second woman to be honoured with the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurateur, Lynch has made a name for herself as a chef, restaurateur and an entrepreneur.
58. Kerry James Marshall
Marshall is an artist whose works have captured a lot of things with reference to black history in America. He has received very important recognitions including the “genius grant” from MacArthur Foundation in 1997 and in 2017, he got the Fifth Star Award from the City of Chicago
59. General James Mattis
General Mattis is the Secretary of Defense, U.S. under the Donald Trump administration.
60. Theresa May
One of the most powerful women in the world Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the only second woman to hold the position after Margaret Thatcher.
61. Conor McGregor
McGregor is a mixed martial artist who has risen to the top of his career. He was selected in the 100 most influential people under “pioneers”.
62. Rebekah Mercer
Mercer is an American heiress who was born in 1973. She is a very strong Republican donor. Both Mercer and her father have been seen as some of the people who were very influential in getting president Trump elected.
63. Alessandro Michele
An Italian designer, Michele is a creative designer with Gucci. He has greatly influenced the image of the wear worldwide.
64. Narendra Modi
Modi is the Prime Minister of India who has been in office since 2014.
65. Neymar
Neymar is a soccer player who currently plays for PSG. He has been the most expensive player in the world since 2017 after his move from Barcelona.
66. Sandra Day O’Connor
A former Supreme Court Justice of the United States and the founder of iCivics, O’Connor is the first woman to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge in 1981.
67. Sarah Paulson
Paulson is an American actress. She was born on December 17, 1974, and has won the Emmy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe Award among many others.
68. Jordan Peele
An American actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker, Peele began with Comedy Central where he sketched Barack Obama.
69. Tom Perez
Perez is a politician who is the chairman of the Democratic National Committee in the United States. He worked as a civil rights activist before he got elected.
70. Ben Platt
Platt is an American singer and actor who was born on September 24, 1993. He won many awards in 2017 for his works and in 2018, he took home a Grammy award for Best Musical Theater Album.
71. Pope Francis
The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis is one of the most significant world religious leaders. He has been embraced by many as a result of his liberal theology and his fight against sexual abuse in the church and poverty among many things.
See Also: 20 Pope Francis Quotes and Sayings, Messages and Prayers
72. Reince Priebus
Priebus served as the White House Chief of Staff under President Donald Trump. He is a politician and a lawyer.
73. Ryan Reynolds
Reynold has made a name for himself as an actor. The Canadian was born on 23 October 1976. He is also a film producer.
74. Margot Robbie
Another person named among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2017 is actress and film producer, Margot Robbie. 2017 was a very successful year for her, thanks to her appearance in “I Tonya” which has won her a lot of fans and awards.
75. RuPaul
Regarded as the most successful drag queen of all time, RuPaul is a model, writer and singer. One of the things he is highly regarded for is working towards ensuring equality in the LGBT community.
76. Raed Saleh
A Syrian Humanitarian, Saleh is an activist who heads the Syria’s White Helmets. The White Helmet is a rescue group that has the objective of rescuing Syrians in times of attacks and disasters.
77. Juan Manuel Santos
Santos is the President of Colombia who has been in office since 2010. He won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
78. Chuck Schumer
Senate Minority leader in the United States Senate, Schumer is a Democrat who is a senior US Senator from New York. He has occupied the seat since 1998.
79. Vijay Shekhar Sharma
India’s youngest billionaire, Sharma is an entrepreneur and founder of Paytm which is a mobile payments company. He was born on 8 July 1973.
80. Cindy Sherman
Sherman is an American photographer who is also a film director. She is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship.
81. Raf Simons
Simons is a Belgian fashion designer who is the chief creative officer of Calvin Klein. Before moving to Calvin Klein, he has worked with Christian Dior.
82. Qasem Soleimani
Soleimani is the commander of Iran’s Quds Force. His force has helped in fighting off rebel offences in the troubled country.
83. Evan Spiegel
Spiegel is the CEO and co-founder of Snapchat. He was born on 4 June 1990 and in 2015, he was named the youngest billionaire in the world.
84. Emma Stone
Stone is an American actress who is the most paid actress in the world at the moment.
85. Celina Turchi
Turchi is a Brazilian infectious disease expert. She has worked very hard in the area of Zika Virus which is gradually becoming a global disaster. It is chiefly for her activities in that area that she is known.
86. Bernard J. Tyson
Tyson is the CEO of Kaiser Permanente. Having worked with Kaiser for over 30 years and later with the American Heart Foundation, he is recognized for his work in public health.
87. Hamdi Ulukaya
Ulukaya is a businessman and the CEO of Chobani. He is regarded for many things but most especially his entrepreneurial skills.
88. King Maha Vajiralongkorn
Vajiralongkorn became the King of Thailand in 2016 after the death of his father.
89. Guus Velders
An atmospheric chemist, Velders is one of the champions of climate change movement. His work most especially recognised in eliminating warming from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
90. Margrethe Vestager
Vestager is a Danish politician. She is very popular as a European Union commissioner for her role as the head of Competition which has seen Alphabet paying $2.7 billion fine for breaching antitrust rules.
91. Jeanette Vizguerra
Vizguerra is an activist against the deportation of immigrants from the United States. She is originally a Mexican but stays in the United States as an immigrant.
92. Wang Qishan
A senior leader of China’s Communist Party, Qishan is recognized for his anti-corruption activities as the Secretary of the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
93. Elizabeth Warren
A Senior Senator from Massachusetts, Warren is a Democrat who has been very vocal against the Trump government.
94. Colson Whitehead
Whitehead is an American novelist who has published six books. As one of the most influential people in 2017, the writer has won a lot of awards and his works have been very influential.
95. Constance Wu
Wu is an actress who is a popular for her web series EastSiders.
