Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos already are among the wealthiest people on the planet.
Now, according to a new list by Forbes, they are also among the most powerful. Gates ranked 7th on the list of the most powerful people, the highest ranking business person on the list and behind political figures such as Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, Xi Jinping, Pope Francis, Angela Merkel, and Janet Yellen.
Bezos, meanwhile, ranked 16th. Apple CEO Tim Cook ranked 25th.
Gates ranks so high because his influence and power crosses multiple spheres. Forbes writes:
There are only 72 slots on our list, so being powerful in just one area is often not enough. Our picks project their influence in myriad ways: Bill Gates (No. 7) has power because he’s a billionaire, a major philanthropist, and, most recently, “technology advisor” to the world’s No. 1 computer software company, which he cofounded nearly 40 years ago.
You can see the full list of the most powerful people here.
