Forbes ranks Donald Trump world's second most powerful person behind one key leader
On Wednesday, Forbes released its annual list of the people who wield the greatest power on Earth, and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump might be displeased with his ranking.
The 2016 release of the annual Forbes list considers three key influencer factors: their ability to impact a nation's GDP, how much money they oversee and their influence at large.
While the "Leader of the Free World" is often considered the most powerful person on Earth, the soon-to-be president was actually outranked for the number one spot by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is the fourth year in a row that Forbes has listed Putin as the senior global powerhouse on Earth.
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While it isn't premium billing, to be ranked second out of 74 people is still a massive Forbes list jump for Trump. In 2015, the billionaire businessman-turned-politician was listed at 72 on the 74-person list -- climbing 70 power rankings in just one year.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is declared as the planet's third most powerful person -- making her the most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes. Merkel is one of six ranked female leaders included on the list.
Rounding out the top 5 are Xi Jinping, China's president, and Pope Francis, respectively.
According to The Guardian, "The Forbes list, now in its eighth year, identifies 74 people – one for every 100 million on the planet – whose actions have the most impact across the world."
