2. Vladimir Putin

Forbes: The World's Most Powerful People

Forbes Profile: Vladimir Putin
Age: 59
Title: Prime Minister, Russia
Residence: Moscow, Russia

(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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The World's Most... What do the president of the United States, the Dalai Lama, a billionaire drug dealer and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg all have in common? They are all featured on Forbes' annual ranking of the World’s Most Powerful People.

The ranking takes into account four factors. First, Forbes measured how many people a person has power over. For a religious leader, like Pope Benedict XVI, that would be the number of adherents, or Catholics, in the world. For a CEO, like General Electric’s Jeffrey Immelt, Forbes counted the number of employees.

Then, they looked at the financial resources controlled by each candidate, whether that is revenues (for a company), GDP (for a country) or net worth (for a billionaire). Next, Forbes asked: Is a candidate influential in more than one arena, or sphere? This bumped up the ranking of people like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is a powerful politician, a self-made media billionaire and a major philanthropist.

Finally, Forbes gave consideration to how actively the candidates wield their power. This measure eliminated inactive heirs to great fortunes, semi-retired industrialists and former heads of state. In all, 70 people made the final list, one for every 100 million people on the planet. These are the top 10.

(AP Photo/Andrew Medichini/AP Photo/Ed Andrieski/AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. David Camero... Forbes Profile: David Cameron
Age: 45
Title: Prime Minister, United Kingdom
Residence: London, UK

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. Mark Zuckerbe... Forbes Profile: Mark Zuckerberg
Age: 27
Title: Founder, Facebook
Residence: Palo Alto, CA. USA

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
The Most Powerful Offenders and Defenders

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Ben Bernanke Forbes Profile: Ben Bernanke
Age: 57
Title: Chairman, Federal Reserve
Residence: Washington, DC. USA

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
The Most Powerful Offenders and Defenders

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. Pope Benedict... Forbes Profile: Pope Benedict XVI
Age: 84
Title: Pope, Roman Catholic Church
Residence: Vatican City

(AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
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6. Abdullah bin ... Forbes Profile: Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud
Age: 87
Title: King, Saudi Arabia
Residence: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

(AP Photo/Gustavo Ferrari)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
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5. Bill Gates Forbes Profile: Bill Gates
Age: 56
Title: Co-Chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Residence: Medina, WA, USA

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
The Most Powerful Offenders and Defenders

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Angela Merkel Forbes Profile: Angela Merkel
Age: 57
Title: Chancellor, Germany
Residence: Berlin, Germany

(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Hu Jintao Forbes Profile: Hu Jintao
Age: 68
Title: President, People’s Republic of China
Residence: Beijing, China

(AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
The Most Powerful Offenders and Defenders

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Vladimir Puti... Forbes Profile: Vladimir Putin
Age: 59
Title: Prime Minister, Russia
Residence: Moscow, Russia

(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
The Most Powerful Offenders and Defenders

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. Barack Obama Forbes Profile: Barack Obama
Age: 50
Title: President, USA
Residence: Washington, DC

(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

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The World’s Most Powerful: Dropoffs
The World’s Most Powerful Newcomers
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
See the Full Lis... Click here to see the full list of the world's most powerful people.