Putin, Trump and Musk have all been named within the last 20 years. Trump and Musk were not completely negative articles but also showed their bad sides. They called Musk a troll. They pulled no punches with Putin.
Having Bin Laden on the cover saying Person of the Year in 2001 would have had their offices burned down. Very bad business move.
I scrolled and even searched the thread and am surprised Elon Musk isn’t on anyone’s list of possibilities. I reckon he’s likely especially if SpaceX pulls off something truly cool in the next few months. A photo of him with a rocket launch and whatever stupid looking X logo ex-twitter has settled on circa December as the backdrop.
2nd has to be Trump as the thing-that-won’t-go-away and keeps defying political gravity.
3rd I also like AI as the thing that certainly won’t be going away before everyone else goes away.
ETA: D’oh and I see Loach mentioned Musk right above my post so I guess it’s because both names are four letters. Anyways, like him or not, Musk would be my pick.
Elon Musk took a successful public forum and is practically burning it to the ground. He’s a solid choice, for ill.
This, except I would put him first.
Musk was named POTY in 2021, and hasn’t really done anything that different that warrants him being named again so soon. The last time there was a “repeat” winner of a particular person who wasn’t President at the time was Deng Xiaoping in 1985.
I looked over the list (had to see why Deng Xiaoping was a repeater) and so many Presidents, Popes and dictators were named POTY for just being elected/taking power.
If Jimmy Carter doesn’t quite make it to the end of this year and people –start– continue building houses for the homeless in his honour and realising he was damn right about conservation and climate change when it was definitely politically hurtful, he might get it. That is about as likely, however, as the US bombing Cambodia and Laos if Kissinger doesn’t quite make it to 2024.
Putin is a lock if he dies in the next 3 months. Especially if it’s a coup (and Dmitri Medvedev will be on the next plane to China or out a window) but whatever disease he might have will work too. Maybe be named co-winner.
Kamala Harris if she should somehow become the first Female President is also a lock.
Outside of the above - all of whom would be repeaters - I still reckon it’ll be Musk, Trump or AI and in the latter case Time will have to 'splain how that’s not a repeat of 1982’s “The Computer”
Here’s a somewhat controversial possibility: King Charles…and Prince Harry. Remember, Harry’s book was released in January. One problem might be, is there any remotely possible way to get them together for a photo for the cover?
Right now, I have AI at the top of the list, with (choose one: King Charles; Charles and Harry; just Harry; Harry and Meghan) a close second. I think “The Prosecutors” are the favorites for 2024, assuming Biden gets re-elected.
I’d put AI and (Jack Smith or prosecutors) neck and neck, with Charles third. They can’t do Smith next year, because they always do the winning president and next year is an election year.
Wait, what did King Charles do to affect the news this year?
There’s so much more important shit going on at the moment that this tabloid crap shouldn’t play any role at all.
He did throw this really sweet party.
Him receiving a new hat was quite the newsworthy event for a couple of weeks. Whole lotta electrons died for that cause.
Don’t be worried, electrons don’t ever really die. They just change, and energy will be conserved. 
Hmmm… looks like that kind of really coalesced only in the last generation:
Roosevelt – 32, yes; 36, no, he had already had two in quick sequence (34) by then (instead Wallis Simpson); 40, no (bumped by Churchill to 41); 44, no (Ike, as Supreme Commander)
Truman – 48, yes ; plus '45 for ending WW2
Ike – 52, no (Queen E2); 56, no (Hungarian rebels); got one in '59 for peace efforts
JFK – 60 - no, got bumped forward to 61 by “US Scientists”
LBJ – 64, yes
Nixon – '68, no (Apollo 8); 72, yes (shared with Henry K), plus '71 for actual things done
Carter – 76, yes
Reagan – 80, yes; 84, no (had got a second one just in 83; Pete Ueberroth for the LA Olympics instead)
Bush the Elder – 88, no (“Endangered Earth”); made it in '90 (end of Cold War, Gulf War 1)
Clinton – 92, yes; 96 no (David Ho for HIV research); shared 98 with Ken Starr for all the wrong reasons
W Bush – 2000 yes, '04, yes – Actual first one to get it for both election years!
Obama – '08 yes, '12 yes
Trump – '16 yes
Biden – 2020 yes (shared w. Harris)
Here’s a name somebody threw out in the SI Sportsperson of the Year thread that Time might consider: Taylor Swift. The news seems to be filled with stories about how the economies of the cities on her tour seem to benefit enormously from her fans, plus it seems to be newsworthy that she’s just seen attending an NFL game. Then again, Time has given out an annual “Entertainer of the Year” award since 2019; she’ll probably get that instead.
Another name to consider for POTY: Kevin McCarthy - the year started with fifteen votes of the House needed to elect him speaker, and now he’s being voted out, pretty much just because he dared even talk to Democrats.
Kevin McCarthy I could see but not Taylor Swift, as she hasn’t really impacted the news as far as I can see.
Right now, my top two are:
I strongly disagree. It’s important to know (and spread news about) the bad. An informed population is good to me. I really think they should have used Osama Bin Laden. I understand the “don’t give publicity” but frankly, he was was already getting tons and he was the more honest choice. If it’s just a popularity contest sort of thing, then it’s pointless (which I kinda already think it is, given those negative ones avoided). Shying away from reporting on people who have absolutely huge negative impacts of the world, denying their importance, is pretty weak to me.
I like the idea of analyzing, eventuating, or speculating who in this year took action that has or will most impact the world. Making it all good makes it half what it could be and likely puff pieces and popularity contests. I mean to me “To those who watched the closing events of the year it seemed more than probable that the Man of 1938 may make 1939 a year to be remembered.” as a closing line is something. Obviously, they’ve been wrong a bunch of times, but those kinds of articles and analysis are absolutely worth writing, and subjects of them absolutely worth being noted as impacting the world.
I have an even better idea. Publish two special issues 6 months apart. One dedicated to the “asshole of the year” and the other to the “asset of the year”.
Otherwise they find themselves praising by faint damnation and that’s not really what the world needs more of.
YMMV of course.
I think it should be my friend Tom. He is retired now but he still has an active CDL and drives trucks for the local food banks on Mondays, works a little to support his income, and spends almost all the rest of his time taking care of elderly people and friends in need. He never has a harsh word for anyone, always there to listen to anyone’s problems and try to help. He is a far better person than anyone likely to be nominated this year and most other years so far.