Newsmakers

Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth president of Egypt since 2014.

Omar Abdourahamane Tiani is a Nigerien military officer and politician who has served as the 11th president of Niger since 2025. The chief of the Nigerien presidential guard since 2011, he overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023, becoming the leader of a junta.

Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella Otero is a Colombian lawyer, businessman, and politician who has served as the president of Colombia since 2026. He is the founder and leader of the Defenders of the Homeland party, established initially as a movement in 2024.

Abiy Ahmed Ali is an Ethiopian politician and former military officer who is the current prime minister of Ethiopia since 2018. He is also the leader of the Prosperity Party since 2019.

Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, is a Syrian politician and former rebel commander who has served as the president of Syria since 2025.

Akio Toyoda is a Japanese business executive who is the chairman of Toyota. He was previously the company’s president and chief executive officer. Toyoda is the great-grandson of the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works founder Sakichi Toyoda, and grandson of Toyota Motor Corporation founder Kiichiro Toyoda.

Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi is an Iraqi banker, businessman, politician, and the current prime minister of Iraq since 2026. At the age of 41, he is the youngest prime minister in the history of Iraq.

Andy Burnham officially became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on July 20, 2026, after accepting an invitation from King Charles III to form a government at Buckingham Palace. Burnham, the leader of the Labour Party and MP for Makerfield, succeeds Keir Starmer following his resignation. He was previously nicknamed the “King of the North” during his nine-year tenure as the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Anita Indira Anand is a Canadian politician, lawyer and former academic who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, Anand was elected to the House of Commons in 2019 and is the member of Parliament for Oakville East. She has held a number of Cabinet portfolios since 2019.

Anthony Norman Albanese is an Australian politician who has served as the 31st prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the leader of the Labor Party since 2019 and the member of parliament for the New South Wales division of Grayndler since 1996.

António Luís Santos da Costa GCC GCIH is a Portuguese lawyer and politician who has served as president of the European Council since 2024. He previously served as prime minister of Portugal from 2015 to 2024 and secretary-general of the Socialist Party from 2014 to 2024.

António Guterres is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations, having assumed the role on January 1, 2017. As the ninth head of the organization, he oversees the United Nations Secretariat. Prior to this position, the Portuguese statesman served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.

Anutin Charnvirakul is a Thai politician and businessman who has served as the 32nd prime minister of Thailand since September 2025. He has also been the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party since 2012 and a member of the House of Representatives since 2019.

Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th prime minister of Malaysia since 2022. A member of the People’s Justice Party, he served as Member of Parliament for Tambun since 2022. Upon becoming prime minister, he appointed himself Minister of Finance.

Aravind Srinivas is the co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, a prominent conversational answer engine designed to challenge traditional search models. Born on 7 June 1994 in Chennai, India, he has quickly emerged as a leading figure in generative AI and one of India’s youngest tech billionaires.

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese politician, diplomat and author who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2021.

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American to serve as president.

Benjamin Netanyahu, nicknamed “Bibi”, is an Israeli politician and diplomat who has served as Prime Minister of Israel since 2022. Having previously held office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021, Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.

Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault is a French businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company.

William Henry Gates III is an American businessman and philanthropist. A pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, he co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen.

Blake Lively is an American actress who achieved widespread fame as fashion icon Serena van der Woodsen in the teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). While she initially built her career as a Hollywood actress and entrepreneur, Blake Lively has become equally well-known for her massive legal battle against co-star and director Justin Baldoni.

Brian Thomas Moynihan is an American lawyer and banker. He is the chairman, president, and CEO of Bank of America, having been promoted to these positions in 2010. Moynihan is a member of the Council on Competitiveness board and Partnership for Rhode Island board, among other boards.

Che-Chia Wei is a Taiwanese business executive and electrical engineer who is the president, chairman, and chief executive officer of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer.

Chey Tae-won is a South Korean billionaire businessman and the chairman of SK Group, the country’s second largest conglomerate, that includes 186 subsidiaries such as SK Telecom, SK Hynix, and SK Innovation. Chey has been the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) since March 2021.

Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde is a French politician and lawyer who has been the president of the European Central Bank since 2019. She previously served as the 11th Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund from 2011 to 2019.

Christopher Mark Luxon is a New Zealand politician and businessman who has served as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since 2023. A member of the National Party, he has been the member of Parliament for Botany since 2020 and previously served as leader of the Opposition from 2021 to 2023.

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is a Mexican politician, energy and climate change scientist, and academic who has been serving as the 66th president of Mexico since 2024. She is the first woman and the first person with Jewish heritage to hold the office.

Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa is a South African businessman and politician serving as the president of South Africa since 2018. A former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader, Ramaphosa is also the president of the African National Congress.

Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín is an Ecuadorian politician and businessman serving as the 48th and current president of Ecuador since 2023. Having first taken office at the age of 35, he is the second-youngest president in the country’s history, after Juan José Flores, and the youngest to be elected.

José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician, revolutionary, and former guerrilla fighter who, under various titles, has been the leader of Nicaragua since 2007 and previously from 1979 to 1990.

Dario Amodei is an American artificial intelligence researcher and entrepreneur. In 2021, he and his sister Daniela Amodei co-founded Anthropic, the company behind the large language model series Claude. Prior to that, he was the vice president of research at OpenAI.

Sir David Beckham is a globally renowned English former professional footballer, fashion icon, and entrepreneur. Renowned for his legendary crossing ability and lethal free kicks, he achieved massive success across a 20-year career. He won league titles in four different countries with Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Paris Saint-Germain, alongside earning 115 caps for the England national team. In late 2025, he was formally knighted by King Charles III for his services to football and charity.

David Ferris Ellison is an American film producer, media proprietor, and former actor serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Skydance since August 2025.

Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez is a Venezuelan lawyer, diplomat, and politician who has served as the vice president of Venezuela since 2018. Rodríguez has held several positions during the presidencies of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.

Sir Demis Hassabis is a British artificial intelligence researcher and entrepreneur. He is the chairman and co-founder of Google DeepMind and the chief scientist of Alphabet, as well as the chief executive officer and co-founder of Isomorphic Labs. Hassabis is also a UK Government AI Adviser.

Donald J. Trump is the 45th and 47th President of the United States. He first rose to prominence as a real estate magnate and reality TV star as the host of The Apprentice, before launching a highly influential political movement and serving two nonconsecutive terms in the White House.

Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician and historian who has served as the prime minister of Poland since 2023, previously holding the office from 2007 to 2014. Tusk was President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019 and led the European People’s Party from 2019 to 2022.

Carl Douglas McMillon is an American businessman who was the president and chief executive officer of Walmart from 2014 to 2026 when he retired. He also sits on the retailer’s board of directors.

Duma Gideon Boko is a Motswana politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the sixth President of Botswana since 1 November 2024 and as President of the Umbrella for Democratic Change since 2012. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2019. Boko attained the presidency of the BNF in 2010.

Edward Samuel Miliband is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs since July 2026. He previously served as Energy Secretary from 2008 to 2010 under Gordon Brown and from 2024 to 2026 under Keir Starmer.

Elon Musk is a South African-born American entrepreneur, business magnate, and investor who serves as the CEO of both Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX. Following the highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX, Musk briefly became the world’s first official paper trillionaire. He effectively controls and holds primary ownership of X, as an indirect subsidiary of SpaceX through xAI.

Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. He has been a member of Renaissance since founding the party in 2016.

Eric Emerson Schmidt is an American businessman and former computer engineer who was the chief executive officer of Google from 2001 to 2011 and the company’s executive chairman from 2011 to 2015.

Erling Haaland is a 25-year-old Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward for Premier League club Manchester City and captains the Norway national football team. Widely regarded as one of the most clinical strikers in the world, he is contracted to stay with Manchester City until the summer of 2034.

Evan Thomas Spiegel is an American businessman who is the co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. Spiegel was the youngest billionaire in the world in 2015.

Fabian Raymond Picardo is a Gibraltarian politician and barrister, serving as Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party since 2011. At the 2015 and 2019 Gibraltar general elections, Picardo was re-elected to two further four-year terms.

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is a Moroccan politician and lawyer who is the prime minister of Morocco since 29 September 2026. She is the first woman to hold the office. A member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, she previously served as mayor of Marrakesh, first from 2009 to 2015, and then since 2021.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr., commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child and only son of 10th president Ferdinand Marcos and former first lady Imelda Marcos.

Ferran Torres García is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Torres began his career at Valencia, where he made his senior debut in 2017.

François-Philippe Champagne is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has been Minister of Finance and National Revenue since 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, he was elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 election, serving as the member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice—Champlain.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier is a German politician who has served as President of Germany since 2017. He was previously Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017, as well as Vice-Chancellor of Germany from 2007 to 2009.

Friedrich Merz is the current Chancellor of Germany, having assumed office on May 6, 2025. He is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Giorgia Meloni is an Italian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Italy since October 2022. She is the first woman to hold the office and the head of the second-longest government in the history of the Italian Republic.

Gregory Edward Abel is a Canadian-American businessman who has been president and chief executive officer of the American multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway since January 2026. Berkshire Hathaway announced in May 2025 that Abel would succeed Warren Buffett as CEO following Buffett’s retirement in late 2025.

Gregory Brockman is an American entrepreneur and software engineer. He is co-founder and president of OpenAI. He began his career at Stripe in 2010, upon leaving MIT, and became CTO in 2013. He left Stripe in 2015 to co-found OpenAI, where he also served as CTO.

Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is a Swedish activist known for pressuring governments to address climate change and social issues. She gained global attention in 2018, at age 15, after starting a solo school strike outside the Swedish parliament, which inspired the worldwide Fridays for Future movement.

Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego is a Colombian politician and economist who has served as the president of Colombia since 2022. Upon inauguration, he is considered the first left-wing president in the recent history of Colombia. He is also the founder and leader of the political party Historic Pact.

Hakainde Hichilema, often known by his initials HH and the nickname “Bally”, is a Zambian businessman, farmer, and politician who is the seventh and current president of Zambia since 24 August 2021. Since 2026, he is the only person alive who has been president of Zambia.

Isaac Herzog, also known as Buji, is an Israeli politician who has been serving since 2021 as the president of Israel. He is the first president to have been born in Israel after its Declaration of Independence.

Israel Katz is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Likud currently serving as Minister of Defense and a member of the Security Cabinet of Israel.

Ma Yun, also known as Jack Ma, is a Chinese businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Jack Ma Foundation, and co-founder of Alibaba Group and Yunfeng Capital. He is one of the richest men in China with a net worth of approx US$27.5 billion.

James Rupert Jacob Murdoch is an American and British businessman. He is the younger son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and the former chief executive officer of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019. He currently operates as the founder and CEO of the private investment firm Lupa Systems which acquired New York Magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network, and Vox.com.

James Dimon is an American businessman who has been the chairman and chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase since 2006. Dimon began his career as a management consultant at a consulting firm in Boston.

Jamieson Lee Greer is an American trade attorney and former Air Force officer who has served as the United States trade representative since February 2025. Greer has additionally served as the acting special counsel of the United States since March 2025.

Dame Jane Fraser DBE is a British-American banking executive who has been chief executive officer of Citi since March 2021 and chair since October 2025. She is the first woman to head a major U.S. bank. Fraser was educated at Girton College, Cambridge, and Harvard Business School.

Jared Corey Kushner is an American businessman, investor, government official and politician. He is the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump and serves as a U.S. Special Envoy, leading high-stakes diplomatic efforts in August 2026 to advance a post-war peace roadmap for Gaza.

Javier Gerardo Milei is an Argentine politician and economist who has served as the 58th president of Argentina since 2023. Milei also served as a national deputy representing the City of Buenos Aires for the party La Libertad Avanza from 2021 until his election to the presidency in 2023.

James David Vance is an American politician, author, and venture capitalist serving as the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the state of Ohio in the United States Senate from 2023 to 2025.

Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American businessman, and the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce and cloud computing company.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen is a Greenlandic politician who has served as the prime minister of Greenland since 2025. He is the leader of the Demokraatit party, and he formerly served as the Minister of Labour and Mineral Resources during the Kielsen VII Cabinet of May 2020 to February 2021.

Jen-Hsun “Jensen” Huang is a Taiwanese and American business executive and electrical engineer who is the founder, president, and CEO of Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company. As of 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth at over US$200 billion, making him the seventh-wealthiest individual in the world.

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the current King of Bhutan, reigning since 9 December 2006. A member of the Wangchuck dynasty, he is the eldest son of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and his third wife, Queen Tshering Yangdon.

James Thomas Fallon is an American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer, best known for his work in television. Fallon grew up with a love of comedy and music, moving to Los Angeles when he turned 21 to pursue stand-up comedy.

Joseph Chung-Hsin Tsai is a Taiwanese-Canadian billionaire business magnate, lawyer, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder and chairman of the Chinese multinational technology company Alibaba Group.

John Furner is an American business executive who is the president and chief executive officer of Walmart Inc. He was president and CEO of Walmart U.S. from 2019 to 2026, and CEO of Sam’s Club from 2017 to 2019. Furner succeeded Doug McMillon, who retired in January 2026.

John Glover Roberts Jr. is an American jurist who has served since 2005 as the 17th chief justice of the United States. Though primarily an institutionalist, he has been described as having a moderate conservative judicial philosophy.

John Ternus is an American engineer and business executive who has been the senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple Inc. since 2021. On September 1, 2026, he will succeed Tim Cook as the CEO of Apple.

José Antonio Kast Rist is a Chilean lawyer and politician who has served as the 38th president of Chile since 2026. Kast previously served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2002 to 2018, representing districts in the Santiago Metropolitan Region.

Joseph Khalil Aoun is a Lebanese politician and former army general who has served as the 14th president of Lebanon since 2025. He has previously served as the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, and is the fifth president with a military background.

Julie Terese Sweet is an American business executive and attorney. She is chair and chief executive officer of Accenture, a multinational professional services company.

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer is a British politician and lawyer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2024 to 2026 and as Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2026. Starmer announced his resignation as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party on June 22, 2026, amid mounting internal pressures and declining local election results.

Kevin Maxwell Warsh is an American financier and attorney who has served as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve and a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors since 2026. Warsh served as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011.

Kim Yo Jong is a North Korean politician and diplomat, and sister of WPK General Secretary Kim Jong Un. As of February 2026 she is the director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Abdullah II is the king of Jordan, having acceded to the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally regarded as a 41st-generation direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Charles III is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was born during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and became heir apparent following his mother’s accession in 1952.

Felipe VI is King of Spain, having reigned since 19 June 2014. Felipe was born in Madrid during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco as the third child and only son of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark.

Frederik X is King of Denmark, reigning since the abdication of his mother, Margrethe II, in January 2024. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik.

King Haakon VIII (born Haakon Magnus on 20 July 1973) is the current King of Norway. He automatically ascended to the throne on 28 August 2026 following the death of his 89-year-old father, King Harald V.

Vajiralongkorn, also known by his regnal name Rama X, is King of Thailand, reigning since 2016. He is the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, the reigning dynasty of Thailand since 1782. The only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, he was made crown prince by his father in 1972, at age 20.

Willem-Alexander is the King of the Netherlands and has reigned since 30 April 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht during the reign of his maternal grandmother, Queen Juliana, as the eldest child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus.

Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward is a Zimbabwean politician, sports administrator, and former competitive swimmer who is the president of the International Olympic Committee.

Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva-Kinova is a Bulgarian economist who has served as the 12th managing director of the International Monetary Fund since 2019. She is the first person from an emerging market economy to lead the institution. She began her career by teaching economics.

Kristrún Mjöll Frostadóttir is an Icelandic politician and economist who has served as the prime minister of Iceland since 2024, and leader of the Social Democratic Alliance since 2022. First elected to the Althing in the 2021 parliamentary election, she became Iceland’s youngest-ever prime minister at the age of 36.

Kwak Noh-jung is the Co-President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SK hynix, one of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers. He is widely recognized as a top semiconductor technology expert who has played a vital role in establishing the company’s dominance in the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market for artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the France national team. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and one of France’s greatest-ever players, he is known for his pace, dribbling, and finishing.

Lachlan Keith Murdoch is a businessman and mass media heir. He is the son of the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. He is the executive chairman of Nova Entertainment, chairman of News Corp, executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corporation.

Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, is a Taiwanese politician, physician, and nephrologist who has served as the 8th president of the Republic of China since 2024. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party, he has been the party’s chairman since 2023.

Lawrence Joseph Ellison is an American businessman. He co-founded the software company Oracle Corporation, and was its CEO from 1977 to 2014. He now serves as its CTO and executive chairman.

Laurence Douglas Fink is an American billionaire businessman. He is a co-founder, chairman, and CEO of BlackRock, an American multinational investment management corporation. BlackRock is the largest money-management firm in the world with more than US$10 trillion in assets under management.

Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado is a Costa Rican politician and political scientist who has served as the president of Costa Rica since 2026. As the presidential candidate of the Sovereign People’s Party, Fernández won the 2026 presidential election.

Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai is a Singaporean politician who has served as the fourth prime minister of Singapore since 2024. A member of the People’s Action Party, he has also served as a Member of Parliament for Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency since 2015 and the minister of finance since 2021.

Lei Jun is a Chinese billionaire entrepreneur and computer engineer. He is known for being the founder, chairman, and CEO of the consumer electronics company Xiaomi. He also is the chairman of Kingsoft and Shunwei Capital.

Li Qiang is a Chinese politician who is the premier of China and the second-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Li joined the CCP in 1983, and first worked in the Communist Youth League in Rui’an.

Liang Wenfeng is a Chinese entrepreneur and businessman who is the co-founder of the quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer, as well as the founder and CEO of its artificial intelligence company DeepSeek. Liang attended Zhejiang University, and began his career by applying machine learning methods to quantitative finance.

Lin Bin is a Chinese-American billionaire tech entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and vice chairman of Xiaomi Corporation, one of the world’s largest consumer electronics and smartphone manufacturers. As of 2026, he holds an estimated net worth of $10.3 billion, placing him among the top global billionaires.

Lionel Andrés “Leo” Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team.

Lisa Tzwu-Fang Su is a Taiwanese and American business executive, computer scientist, and electrical engineer who has been the president and CEO of the American semiconductor company AMD since 2014. Su was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States with her family as a young child.

Mahmoud Abbas, also known by the kunya Abu Mazen, is a Palestinian politician who has been serving as the second president of Palestine and the Palestinian National Authority since 2005. He has also been the fourth chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization since 2004.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an Iranian politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. Ideologically a principlist and nationalist, he was a member of the Expediency Discernment Council and a strong proponent of Iran’s nuclear program.

Mao Ning is a Chinese diplomat. She has served as the 33rd spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China since September 2022 and as the director-general of the MFA Department of Information since January 2025.

Marco Antonio Rubio is an American politician, attorney, and diplomat serving as the 72nd United States secretary of state since 2025. He is also the acting national security advisor. A member of the Republican Party, Rubio represented Florida in the United States Senate from 2011 to 2025.

Maria Castillo Fernandez is a prominent European diplomat of Spanish nationality who currently serves as the European Union Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific. She assumed this diplomatic role in September 2025, continuing her extensive career focus on fostering relations between the EU and Asian nations.

María Corina Machado Parisca is a Venezuelan politician, activist, and prominent leader of the opposition to the administrations of Hugo Chávez, Nicolás Maduro, and Delcy Rodríguez. She served as a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2011 to 2014, and has run as a candidate in presidential elections. She was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize which she later presented to U.S. President Donald Trump after the 2026 U.S. strikes in Venezuela and capture of Maduro.

Mark Joseph Carney is a Canadian politician and economist who has served as the 24th prime minister of Canada since 2025. Carney was also elected as the leader of the Liberal Party and the member of Parliament for Nepean in 2025.

Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has served as the 14th secretary general of NATO since October 2024. He previously served as prime minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024 and leader of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy from 2006 to 2023.

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American businessman and programmer who co-founded the social media service Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms. He is its chairman, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder.

Mary Teresa Barra is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a ‘Big Three’ automaker. In December 2013, GM named her to succeed Daniel Akerson as CEO.

Masayoshi Son is a Japanese entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. A Zainichi Korean, he is the founder, chairman and chief executive of SoftBank Group, a technology-focused investment holding company, as well as chairman of UK-based Arm Holdings and US-based Stargate LLC.

Masoud Pezeshkian is an Iranian politician and heart surgeon who has served as the ninth president of Iran since 2024. A member of the reformist faction, he is the oldest person to serve in this position, taking office at the age of 69.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is an American member of the British royal family, media personality, entrepreneur, and actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III. Meghan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.

Melania Knauss Trump is a Slovenian and American former model serving as the first lady of the United States since 2025, a role she previously held from 2017 to 2021 as the third wife of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States.

Mette Frederiksen K.1 is a Danish politician who has served as the prime minister of Denmark since 2019 and the Leader of the Social Democrats since 2015. She is the second woman to hold either office following Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and is also the youngest prime minister in Danish history.

Michael Rubens Bloomberg is an American businessman and politician. He is the majority owner and co-founder of Bloomberg L.P., and was its CEO from 1981 to 2001, and again from 2014 to 2023. He served as the 109th mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013.

Michael George Glen Waltz is an American Republican politician, diplomat, businessman, author, and former Army Special Forces officer who has served as the 32nd United States ambassador to the United Nations since September 2025 in the second Trump administration. He briefly served as the White House National Security Advisor from January to May 2025.

Min Aung Hlaing is a Burmese politician and retired military officer who has been the 11th president of Myanmar since April 2026, having ruled the country continuously since seizing power in February 2021 through a military coup d’état against the elected government.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is an Iranian politician, pilot, and former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps brigadier general, who has served as Speaker of the Parliament of Iran since 2020. As of April 2026, he has been described as handling the strategic matters of Iran.

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MbS, is the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally serving as Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He is the heir apparent to the Saudi throne, the son of King Salman, and the grandson of the nation’s founder, Ibn Saud.

Mohammed VI is King of Morocco, reigning since 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, Mohammed was born during the reign of his father, King Hassan II. At an early age, he began partaking in public engagements on behalf of his father.

Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the third supreme leader of Iran since 2026. A member of the Khamenei family and the second son of second supreme leader Ali Khamenei, he previously served as Vakil of the Supreme Leader during his father’s rule from 2008 to 2026.

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani is an Indian businessman. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the largest public company in India by market capitalisation in 2025. As of June 2026, he is the richest person in Asia and the 22nd richest in the world, with a net worth of US$91.8 billion.

Narendra Damodardas Modi is an Indian politician who has served as the prime minister of India since 26 May 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament for Varanasi.

Nigel Paul Farage is a British politician who has been Leader of Reform UK since 2024. He served as a member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 until the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union in 2020, and as a Member of Parliament for Clacton from 2024 to 2026.

Olaf Caspar Hendrik Marie Sleijpen is a Dutch economist, academic, and central banker. Since 1 July 2025, he has served as President of De Nederlandsche Bank, the Dutch central bank, succeeding Klaas Knot.

Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón is a Spanish politician and economist who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018.

Penny Wong is an Australian politician serving as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Leader of the Government in the Senate. A member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), she has represented South Australia as a senator since 2002.

Peter Brian Hegseth is an American government official and former television personality who is serving as the 29th United States secretary of defense since 2025. Hegseth studied politics at Princeton University, where he was the publisher of The Princeton Tory, a conservative student newspaper.

Péter Magyar is a Hungarian politician and lawyer who has been serving as prime minister of Hungary since May 2026. He has also been the president of the Tisza Party since 2024. Magyar served as a member of the European Parliament from 2024 to 2026.

Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, is a Chinese businessman. He is the co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Tencent, a Shenzhen-based conglomerate in technology, gaming, entertainment, and financial services.

Pope Leo XIV is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. Born in Chicago, Prevost became a friar in the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained as a priest in 1982. He earned a Doctor of Canon Law degree in 1987 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo is an Indonesian politician, businessman, and retired military officer who has served as the eighth president of Indonesia since 2024. He previously served as the 26th minister of defence under President Joko Widodo from 2019 to 2024.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, and is fifth in the line of succession to the British throne. Harry was born during the reign of his paternal grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

William, Prince of Wales, is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his paternal grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Mary is Queen of Denmark as the wife of King Frederik X. Mary met Frederik while attending the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They married on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral. They have four children: Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine.

Suthida Bajrasudha Bimalalakshana is Queen of Thailand as the fourth wife of King Vajiralongkorn. Before their marriage, she was a flight attendant. After joining the Royal Thai Armed Forces, she was promoted to King’s bodyguard.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a Turkish politician and statesman who has been the president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Justice and Development Party, which he co-founded in 2001. He also served as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998.

Ren Zhengfei is a Chinese entrepreneur and engineer who is the founder and CEO of Huawei Technologies, which is located in Shenzhen, China, and is the world’s largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment and second largest manufacturer of smartphones and Huawei Chinese Electric Cars.

Rhun ap Iorwerth is a Welsh politician and former broadcaster who has served as First Minister of Wales since 2026 and Leader of Plaid Cymru since 2023. He has served as a Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Môn, previously Ynys Môn, since 2013.

Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., also known by his initials RFK Jr., is an American politician, environmental lawyer, author, conspiracy theorist, and anti-vaccine activist serving as the 26th United States secretary of health and human services since 2025.

Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, known as Rodri or Rodrigo, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and captains the Spain national team.

Rodrigo Paz Pereira is a Bolivian politician and diplomat who has served as the 68th president of Bolivia since 2025. The eldest son of former president Jaime Paz Zamora and great-nephew of president Víctor Paz Estenssoro, he served as a senator for Tarija from 2020 to 2025.

Rosario María Murillo Zambrana is a Nicaraguan politician and poet who has been Co-president of Nicaragua alongside her husband, Daniel Ortega, since February 2025.

Keith Rupert Murdoch is an Australian-born American billionaire business magnate, investor, and media mogul who built one of the most powerful global media empires in history. Through his holding companies, News Corp and Fox Corporation, he has heavily shaped public discourse, political landscapes, and media practices across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Samuel Harris Altman is an American entrepreneur and investor who has been the chief executive officer of the artificial intelligence company OpenAI since 2019. Altman attended Stanford University for two years before he dropped out and co-founded Loopt, a smartphone geosocial networking application.

Sanae Takaichi is a Japanese politician who has been Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party since October 2025. She is the first woman to hold either of these positions in Japanese history.

Satya Narayana Nadella is an Indian-American business executive. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014 as CEO and John W. Thompson in 2021 as chairman.

Scott Kenneth Homer Bessent is an American businessman, financial commentator, and government official serving since 2025 as the 79th United States secretary of the treasury. Bessent was a partner at Soros Fund Management and founded Key Square Group, a global macro investment firm.

Sébastien Lecornu is the current Prime Minister of France, having been appointed to the position by President Emmanuel Macron. Lecornu took office in September 2025 and, following a brief resignation, was officially reappointed in October 2025.

Abbas Araghchi is an Iranian diplomat and politician who has served as the foreign minister of Iran since August 2024. Araghchi had served for nine years with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran–Iraq War.

Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician and businessman who has served as the prime minister of Pakistan since 2024, having previously been in the role between 2022 and 2023.

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also known as MBZ or MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who has served as the third president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022 and was from 2014 until 2022 the de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates.

Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka CF OBE MSD is a Fijian politician, sportsman, and former soldier who has been serving as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987.

Steven Charles Witkoff is an American real estate investor and former attorney who is the founder of the Witkoff Group. Since 2025, Witkoff has served as the United States special envoy to the Middle East and special envoy for peace missions. He has also acted as a de facto envoy to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Pichai Sundararajan, better known as Sundar Pichai, is an Indian–American business executive who has been the CEO of Google since 2015 and the CEO of its parent company Alphabet Inc. since 2019. Pichai began his career as a materials engineer.

Taye Atske Selassie Amde is an Ethiopian diplomat and politician who has served as the president of Ethiopia since 2024. Prior to his presidency, he served in multiple diplomatic roles, including ambassador to Egypt and permanent representative to the United Nations, and as minister of foreign affairs.

Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. An influential figure in popular culture, she is known for her autobiographical songwriting and artistic reinventions. Swift is the highest-grossing live music artist, the wealthiest female musician, and one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive who has served as the chief executive officer of Apple since 2011. He had previously been the company’s chief operating officer under its co-founder Steve Jobs.

Tô Lâm is a Vietnamese politician and former police officer who since 2024 has served as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the highest-ranked position of the Vietnamese politics, and as the 13th and current president of Vietnam since 2026.

Thomas Joseph Barrack Jr. is an American diplomat, private equity real estate investor and the founder and retired chairman of Colony Capital, a publicly traded real estate investment trust. Barrack serves as the United States Ambassador to Turkey, United States Special Envoy for Syria and the United States Special Envoy for Iraq.

Thomas Stanley Holland is an English actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and three Saturn Awards. He was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list of 2019. Holland’s career began at the age of nine when he enrolled in a dancing class.

Toshimitsu Motegi is a Japanese politician who is serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs and as a member of the House of Representatives. He has previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021, and as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2012 to 2014.

Tshering Tobgay is a Bhutanese politician who is the seventh prime minister of Bhutan since 2024, having previously held the office from 2013 to 2018. Tobgay is the leader of the People’s Democratic Party, and was also the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from March 2008 to April 2013.

Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is a German politician and physician who has served as President of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding positions in Angela Merkel’s cabinet, most recently as Federal Minister for Defence.

Volker Türk is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022.

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth president of Ukraine since 2019.

Wang Chuanfu is a Chinese chemist, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder, chairman and CEO of the BYD Company. Wang was born in Anhui to a poor farmer family. He then studied metallurgy and earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree.

Wang Yi is a Chinese diplomat and politician who is the director of the Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Chinese Communist Party and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Born in Beijing, Wang studied Japanese at Beijing International Studies University.

Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor and philanthropist who is the chairman and former CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his success, Buffett is one of the best-known investors in the world.

Winston Raymond Peters PC is a New Zealand politician. He has led the political party New Zealand First since he founded it in 1993, and since November 2023 has served as the 25th minister of foreign affairs.

Xi Jinping is a Chinese politician who is the paramount leader of China. He has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Party Central Military Commission since 2012, the president of China and chairman of the State Central Military Commission since 2013.

Zhu Yiming is the billionaire tech entrepreneur, engineer, and current Chairman and CEO of ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China’s leading producer of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in China’s semiconductor industry. He founded GigaDevice in 2005 and led its team in successfully developing China’s first domestically produced mobile high-speed storage chip.

Zohran Mamdani is an American politician serving as the 112th Mayor of New York City. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), he assumed office on January 1, 2026, after winning the 2025 mayoral election. He is the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor in the city’s history.