# The five most powerful men in the world **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [November 27, 2024, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823 "2024-11-27T00:42:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/1 "2024-11-27T00:42:47Z")
I think four of them are quite easy to identify: Trump, Musk, Xi, and Putin. Who’s number 5? Scholz? I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/2 "2024-11-27T00:53:58Z")
I’m not so sure about Trump. He is old and boderline senile and uninterested in much except his own well being. I think it will be someone behind the throne that has the actual power. I am not sure who that will be. Musk has money galore but little actual power although he is trying. Xi definitely should be in the top five (arguably #1). Putin…not so sure. His venture into Ukraine has shown Russia to be a paper tiger. But, they still have nukes and are still dangerous. I also suspect he is actually the wealthiest man in the world but I don’t see him using it for much and prefers to squirrel it away. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/3 "2024-11-27T00:56:52Z")
Bill Gates? ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/4 "2024-11-27T01:03:00Z")
Trump is the most powerful person on Earth and it’s not really close ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/5 "2024-11-27T01:06:17Z")
Technically yes but consider Bush and Cheney. I think we know who wore the pants in that family. I think we will see the same with Trump. He holds the most powerful seat but it will be someone else behind the scenes pulling the strings. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/6 "2024-11-27T01:08:02Z")
Absolutely not. ---
**Author:** ![goodkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b38774/32.png) [@goodkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goodkitty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/7 "2024-11-27T01:16:29Z")
The President of the United States (currently Biden but will be Trump soon) is the leader of the only global super power. But the power of POTUS is limited by the separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. China and Russia, led by Xi and Putin, are significantly strong regional powers. But Xi and Putin have greater power over/in their respective Nations than POTUS. I think Musk is a bit of a stretch. I’m not sure who #4 and #5 would be. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/8 "2024-11-27T01:35:46Z")
At one time in history— The Pope as the head of The Roman Catholic Church would have been definitely been in the top five. Now I am not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/9 "2024-11-27T01:41:35Z")
> [@goodkitty](#): > > But the power of POTUS is limited by the separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. Ah but Trump controls all three branches of government. _Quod principi plaquit legis habet vigorem_ ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/10 "2024-11-27T01:46:27Z")
Interesting question. I do not think the Pope is especially powerful these days because he almost certainly can’t get Catholics to do his bidding cuz he said so (at least not in substantial numbers). Especially if it comes to going to war or deposing some politician. He wields substantial power certainly but I doubt he is top 20. ---
**Author:** ![StringsandHammers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stringsandhammers/32/17933_2.png) [@StringsandHammers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StringsandHammers)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/11 "2024-11-27T01:58:28Z")
Fun Fact: 3 US states have GDP’s bigger than the entire country of Russia. Russia has nuclear bombs, raw resources, and hundreds of miles of barren Tundra. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/12 "2024-11-27T02:15:33Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Now I am not so sure. How many divisions has this Pope? Zero you say? Powerless. Influential? Perhaps. But many many tens of millions of people, mostly Americans, are about to receive a lesson in the difference between “influence” and “power”. US politics has operated mostly on the basis of influence for decades. IMO not for much longer, and perhaps not for decades to come. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/13 "2024-11-27T02:21:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But nany many tens of millions of people, mostly Americans, are about to receive a lesson in the difference between “influence” and “power”. > > US politics has operated mostly on the basis of influence for decades. IMO not for much longer, and perhaps not for decades to come. The US still has, by far, the world’s biggest military and it is reasonably competent. Europe has realized that they cannot rely on the US anymore and are starting to ramp-up their own militaries but it will be some years before they can completely ignore the US (although they will get there). Trump has already caused lasting damage. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/14 "2024-11-27T02:23:29Z")
I was referring to _internal_ US politics, not external. I agree that US _external_ politics IOW foreign & military affairs, has been a mixture of soft power influence and hard military & economic power _qua_ power since WWII ended. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/15 "2024-11-27T04:17:05Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > Who’s number 5? Ed Zotti ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/16 "2024-11-27T04:43:28Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > Ah but Trump controls all three branches of government. Trump doesn’t even control his own bowels. ---
**Author:** ![DaveUnknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@DaveUnknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveUnknown)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/17 "2024-11-27T04:54:23Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > Ah but Trump controls all three branches of government. wrong: 1. biden 2. jerome powell 3. xi 4. head of FIFA 5. mo b. salman ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/18 "2024-11-27T06:02:23Z")
The Murdochs, without a doubt. Whilst Rupert has handed the reins to Lachlan (who has a similar mindset to daddy) there MIGHT be some shenanigans afoot when the other three heirs demand their heritage, in which case, the Murdoch Empire will be fucked. In the meantime…the Murdochs hold the strings as the most powerful in the world. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/19 "2024-11-27T15:03:04Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Ed Zotti The Rosicrucians answer to Zotti, so yes. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823/20 "2024-11-27T19:47:06Z")
No one’s said Modi yet, the Prime Minister of the most populous country on Earth (and a nuclear power). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-five-most-powerful-men-in-the-world/1010823.md?page=2)