The world's most powerful people

The world's most powerful people according to a ranking compiled by Forbes Magazine are:

1. Barack Obama (President of the United States)
2. Hu Jintao (President of China)
3. Vladimir Putin (Prime Minister of Russia)
4. Ben S. Bernanke (Chairman of the US Federal Reserve)
5. Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Co-founders of Google Inc.)
6. Carlos Slim Helu (Chief executive of Telmex)
7. Rupert Murdoch (Chairman of News Corp)
8. Michael T. Duke (President, CEO and Director of Wal-Mart)
9. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud (King of Saudi Arabia)
10. William Gates III (Co-Chair of the Bill & Mellinda Gates Foundation)