CFI Top 25 Most Powerful Individuals in Emerging Markets 2012

Few will argue about Vladimir Putin being the most powerful man in emerging markets this year. On the back of his long term track record of domestic economic success and foreign policy strengths, he will soon be re-elected as President of Russia. Russia’s has vast land with an abundance of resources, including commodities such as metals, oil and gas. Russia also has strong military power and also skilled elite scientists. These factors combined with a still centralized government with the President at the helmet, makes Putin the most powerful man.

The Chinese government and party representatives are well represented on the list because they hold powers over an enormous labor force, the world’s largest army, production capacity and natural resources (including rare earth) as well as cash and securities (denominated in foreign currency).

Also, India has a skilled and aspirational labor force and knowledge capacity. Thus, they are represented by their visionary entrepreneurs and experienced head of government. As a politically powerful economist Manmohan Singh is helping India fulfill its potential.

Some of the world’s richest men, including Carlos Slim, Lakshmi Mittal, Li-Ka Shing, Alisher Usmanov and the royalty from the Middle East, are on the list because they use their considerable capital not only to produce returns, but also as a power tool to advance their projects and agenda – all creating progress for mankind. Capital yields power to impact developments.

Some wield powers by producing ideas that move the world to impact our lives through persuative diplomacy (incl. Ban Ki-Moon,) and integrity (e.g. Dalai Lama) rather than military power (e.g. Kim Jong-il) or the capital wealth aforementioned.

Other heads of government, such as Dilma Rousseff (Brazil) and Recep Erdogan (Turkey) heads up successful countries on the way up and personifies that democracy and a sense of fairness are conducive to economic growth.

Table 1: CFI Top 25 Most Powerful Individuals in Emerging Markets 2012

RankName, TitleOrganizationAge
1Vladimir Putin, Prime MinisterRussia59
2Hu Jintao, PresidentPeople’s Republic of China68
3Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, KingSaudi Arabia87
4Sonia Gandhi, PresidentIndian National Congress64
5Dilma Rousseff, PresidentBrazil63
6Carlos Slim Helu, ChairmanTelmex71
7Wen Jiabao, PremierPeople’s Republic of China69
8Zhou Xiaochuan, GovernorPeople’s Bank of China63
9Manmohan Singh, Prime MinisterIndia79
10Zhou Yongkang, Secretary of the Commission for Political and Legislative AffairsPeople’s Republic of China68
11Ali Al-Naimi, Oil MinisterSaudi Arabia76
12Rostam Ghasemi, PresidentOrganization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)47
13Lou Jiwei, ChairmanChina Investment Corporation60
14Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Army StaffPakistan59
15Kim Jong-ul, Supreme LeaderNorth Korea28
16Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations67
17Li Ka-shing, ChairmanHutchison Whampoa Limited83
18Lakshmi Mittal, ChairmanArcelorMittal61
19Recep Erdogan, Prime MinisterRepublic of Turkey57
20Dalai Lama, Dalai LamaTibet76
21Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, PresidentUnited Arab Emirates63
22Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Director-General of Inter-Services IntelligencePakistan59
23Azim Premji, ChairmanWipro Limited66
24Xi Jinping, First Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist PartyPeople’s Republic of China58
25Alisher Usmanov, OligarchUkraine58

Source: CFI, Forbes, Other


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