Highest-Paid Actresses 2011

Forbes.com, One of the best websites I usually check every time I need an updated list. I might say that they have been in my top 100 best websites I trusted and today I would like to share some post from them.

Most of us love gadgets and technology is our friend. From Teeny to Gramps, people can't deny the effect that this modernized civilization offers - not even star or celebrity. Tomio Geron (Forbes Social Markets) shared to us a list of Hollywood tech savvy stars.

Tomio quoted "Celebrities from Hollywood, music or the sports world seem to have a fascination with Silicon Valley and tech start-ups. Whether it’s the inner gadget geek, the urge to start a company, an interest in a quick-flip investment, a hope to be an hip early adopter, or just an interest in schmoozing with the next Ev Williams, celebrities seem to have a strong attraction to tech. Some like to show up at industry conferences, others invest in companies, while others just like to sign up for new web sites to boost their geek cred."

So here are the list of Top 10 Hollywood's tech savvy stars.

1 - Ashton Kutcher

He is better known for his acting career. But he has invested in tech companies including Skype, Airbnb, Likealittle and Milk. He recently started a tech investing fund called A Grade with Ron Burkle and Gary Oseary. Kutcher recently attended a Demo Day for incubator Y Combinator in Mountain View, Calif., drawing a crowd of wide-eyed entrepreneurs eager to talk to him.

2 - MC Hammer

MC Hammer, a.k.a. rapper Stanley Kirk Burrell has been a frequent guest at tech events in Silicon Valley with the likes of Ron Conway. Hammer also was an advisor to start-up DanceJam.com. Hammer here is seated with Conway in the audience during a town hall meeting with President Barack Obama, Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.

3 - Chamillionaire

He has become a regular at Silicon Valley tech conferences, where he says he wants to learn more about how new technology can affect the music industry. Most recently he attended the July 29 TechCrunch Crunchup at AOL in Palo Alto, Calif. He also has been a judge at a TechCrunch start-up conference.

4 - Tim Ferris

Bestselling author Tim Ferris (The 4-Hour Workweek) has also been an active angel investor in tech start-ups. His investments include Twitter, Reputation.com, DailyBurn and SimpleGeo. He's also an advisor for companies including Evernote, StumbleUpon and Uber.

5 - Kim Kardashian

She is a co-founder of online subscription shoe company ShoeDazzle.com, which has reportedly raised $60 million in total venture financing. The founder of the company is Brian Lee, a serial entrepreneur whose first company, LegalZoom is expected to go public soon.

6 - Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake is an investor in companies including Stipple, a photo advertising start-up, and Miso Media, a music education start-up.

7 - Curt Schilling

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is a founder of gaming start-up 38 Studios.

8 - Will.i.am

Will. i.am of the Black Eyed Peas in January was named director of creative innovation at chip giant Intel. (What that means exactly is unclear.) His geek cred was solidified in December 2010 when he wrote and performed a song about cloud computing for Salesforce.com at CEO Marc Benioff's keynote.

9 - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga invested in Backplane, a social networking start-up, along with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's Tomorrow Ventures.

10 - Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal joined Twitter in November 2008 and helped draw mainstream users to the service. He also used web video service 12seconds.tv, drawing massive traffic to that website. He still records spots regularly on video iPhone app Tout.

• Reference/Source: Forbes.com by Tomio Geron (Social Markets) [08/05/2011]

About

Forbes.com



Forbes.com Inc. is a leading Internet media company providing business information services and lifestyle editorial content designed to serve the needs of business leaders, professionals, investors and affluent consumers. The Forbes.com Web site, located at http://www.forbes.com, is focused on the theme of wealth -- how it is created, how it is managed and how it can be enjoyed. The site includes daily original reporting on the business of technology; real- time business information news updates; the complete online editions of Forbes magazine, Forbes Global, Forbes ASAP and Forbes FYI; a powerful search engine with access to all current and archived Forbes content; stock and mutual fund stock quotes, and comprehensive company profiles; an expanded online version of the Forbes.com Best of The Web guide; and a wide array of interactive tools, calculators and databases, including the annual Forbes Lists.

About Tomio Geron, Author



He cover the social web/social networking, start-ups and various other Silicon Valley topics from San Francisco. He was previously a reporter for Dow Jones VentureWire, where he covered venture capital and Internet start-up companies, from search engines to seed investing to special purpose vehicles. He also previously worked for Red Herring, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and other outlets. In a previous life he was a web developer. Follow Tomio on Twitter: @tomiogeron.

Boyce Avenue is an American acoustic rock band. It was formed in Sarasota, Florida by brothers Alejandro, Daniel and Fabian Manzano. The band is named after a combination of two streets the brothers lived on as children. They are signed to Universal Republic.

Alejandro Manzano (Vocals, Guitar, Piano)
Fabian Manzano (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Daniel Manzano (Bass, Percussion, Backing Vocals)

The band formed in 2004 when Daniel moved back to Florida after graduating Harvard Law School. Alejandro and Fabian were both attending classes at the University of Florida.
In 2006 Boyce Avenue began posting videos on YouTube, both of original material and cover versions. Some of these covers have reached up to 11,000,000 views. These covers have been released in EPs digitally via their independent record label, 3 Peace Records. While producing the videos for YouTube, Boyce Avenue was continuing to create original material for a debut album, All You're Meant To Be, for release on March 3, 2008. In January 2009 the band performed a stand-alone show in New York City.

With their sights set on connecting with their online fan base, the band turned their attention to touring, playing four headlining shows in the Philippines. Shortly following this, the band returned to the States to begin its first tour of the US.
Following these tours, the band launched a tour of Europe, including dates in Germany, Ireland and the UK. In early 2010, the band returned to the Philippines to play festivals with Kris Allen and the Jabbawockeez. This was followed by a spring revisit tour of Europe in 2010.
They are currently the most searched for band on Youtube with over 300 million views and counting, and are known for their distinct cover songs. The band frequently tours to the Philippines and the U.K.

Most recently the band signed with Universal Republic and has a second album, entitled All We Have Left, released on June 15, 2010. The album was produced and financed entirely by Boyce Avenue prior to being signed to Universal Republic. The album contains reworked songs from “All You're Meant To Be” and brand new songs written for the album. The albums first single “Every Breath” was released digitally on March 16, 2010. The music video for Every Breath was released on March 20, 2010.

They cover new popular songs which their fans have chosen for them, including multiple collaborations with other Youtube artists such as Kina Grannis, Alex Goot, Megan & Liz, David Choi, Savannah Outen, and DeStorm.

Here's Top 10 of Boyce Avenue's Best Acoustic Covers ever. Hope you'll enjoy. I'm a big fan too!

10 - Rolling In The Deep (Original: Adele)

9 - Teenage Dream (Original: Katy Perry)

8 - Water Runs Dry (Original: Boyz II Men)

7 - Firework (Original: Katy Perry)

6 - Perfect (Original: Pink)

5 - Just Can't Get Enough (Original: Black Eyed Peas)

4 - Just The Way You Are (Original: Bruno Mars)

3 - Back For Good (Original: Take That)

2 - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Original: Coldplay)

1 - Grenade (Original: Bruno Mars)

• Reference/Source: Boyce Avenue on Youtube Channel
• Reference/Source: Wikipedia.org

Message from

Boyce Avenue

"Because of your support we are the 2nd most viewed band on YouTube behind Linkin Park! We do what we love everyday because of you! Thanks so much! ;)"

Subscribe to Boyce Avenue

According to Forbes.com, "Hollywood is still a boy’s town where the men earn a lot more than the women. But don’t cry for the top female stars: The 10 highest-paid actresses in Tinseltown earned a total $218 million between May 2010 and May 2011, by our estimation."

Jolie has made a name for herself as an actress who can easily handle action, drama and even directing. She wrote and directed the upcoming film In the Land of Blood and Honey, a romance set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War. That film follows up her two big-budget 2010 action movies, Salt and The Tourist. The latter, which co-starred Johnny Depp, initially looked like it was going to be a flop after a paltry opening weekend box-office haul of $16 million. But thanks mostly to the overseas market, the film went on to earn $280 million, cementing Jolie’s appeal abroad...

Here's the Complete list of Top 10 of Hollywood's Highest Paid Actresses 2011.

1 - Angelina Jolie, $30 million

Jolie is the only woman making bank for playing action heroes these days. Salt, which was originally written for Tom Cruise, brought in $300 million on a budget of $110 million. Her other movie from 2010, The Tourist, earned 75% of its $280 million box office overseas.

2 - Sarah Jessica Parker, $30 million

Parker hasn't strayed far from her association with fashion-lover Carrie Bradshaw from the hit TV show Sex and the City. In 2010 she starred in the second Sex movie, which earned $290 million. She's designing clothes with Halston and she has a line of best-selling fragrances, including NYC, which brought in $18 million in 2010.

3 - Jennifer Aniston, $28 million

While the tabloids fret about Aniston's love life, the actress is slowly proving herself to be one of Hollywood's surest things on the business side. Her 2010 movie The Bounty Hunter opened weak and was immediately written off by the pundits. But the film kept attracting audiences, eventually earning $136 million on an estimated budget of $40 million. She later helped Adam Sandler's Just Go With It earn a healthy $212 million.

4 - Reese Witherspoon, $28 million

Her marriage to agent Jim Toth kept her in the public eye this year but the actress' latest romantic comedy, How Do You Know, was a colossal flop, earning only $47 million on an estimated budget of $120 million. Don't expect it to dent Witherspoon's career. She is still the go-to actress for movies like her upcoming This Means War, about a love triangle involving two CIA agents.

5 - Julia Roberts, $20 million

Roberts' career has slowed considerably since her Notting Hill days but she's still a box office draw. Eat Pray Love earned an impressive $205 million. Roberts also earns from her work as one of the faces of Lancome. She's attached to play the Evil Queen in one of two Snow White projects currently in development.

6 - Kristen Stewart, $20 million

Stewart's non-Twilight career hasn't been as successful as her co-star Robert Pattinson's so far. Her 2010 film The Runaways grossed only $4.6 million at the global box office. But the two-part Breaking Dawn should bring her enough money to play around with different roles while looking for her next big hit. Stewart is attached to one of two Snow White projects currently in development.

7 - Katherine Heigl, $19 million

One of the few women who can still command $12 million per picture, Heigl is the new queen of romantic comedies. She risks having that crown taken away from her though due to a couple of recent duds including Killers, which earned only $100 million, and Life as We Know It, which performed slightly better, bringing in $106 million on an estimated budget of $40 million.

8 - Cameron Diaz, $18 million

Seventeen years after she debuted opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask, Diaz is still one of the most popular actresses in movies. She starred opposite Tom Cruise in last year's Knight & Day. The film didn't perform as well as many would have liked but it still brought in a solid $260 million thanks to brisk overseas ticket sales. Her relationship with baseball star Alex Rodriguez helps keeps the busy actress in the news.

9 - Sandra Bullock, $15 million

The actress hasn't had a movie out in the last 12 months. After a year of triumph (winning an Oscar) and heartbreak (a painfully public divorce) Bullock is getting back to work with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Based on the Jonathan Safran Foer novel about New York after 9/11, the film costars Tom Hanks.

10 - Meryl Streep, $10 million

Streep had a huge year in 2009 with Julie & Julia and It's Complicated but the award-winning actress has been quiet since then. She'll return later this year as Margaret Thatcher in the biopic The Iron Lady directed by her Mamma Mia helmer Phyllida Law.

For more info about the top 10 of Hollywood's Highest Paid Actresses 2011, please visit Forbes.com. Thank you.

• Reference/Source: Forbes.com [July 5, 2011]

Here are the top 10 richest actors in the world from what Top10 can tell! While it’s hard to know exactly who is the richest actors in the world as many of their earnings are undisclosed and we have no idea about how much of what they earn is spent on Ferraris and how much is invested. However this list is my attempt to give an estimate of the world’s richest actors. If you want to know which actors earned the most in 2009 check this article out.

10 - Adam Sandler

The funny man is well known for his family friendly films. However he also has his own production company which produced the moderately successful Deuce Bigelow franchise. His hard work means that he can now command a handsome fee fro his work and is estimated to have earned $55 million in 2009.

9 - Will Ferrell

Another funny man who seems to produce hit after hit and not always as the leading man. He can command around 18$ per movie although he didn’t earn as much as many of the other big hitters in 2009 he still is up there in the Top 10.

8 - Nicholas Cage

Cage has had many had hits such as Ghost Rider and Lord of War, he dosent have the pulling power of many of the bigger name stars but he does work hard. He put out 4 movies with his name on them in 2009 and is set to put out another 5 in 2010.

7 - Harrison Ford

Although he only made one movie in 2009 it is estimated that he earned 65$ million from. The latest instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise is no master piece but with the box sets of that and stars wars still flying off the shelves he must be earning a fair bit of packet.

6 - Brad Pitt

With a house full of hungry mouths and a wife who has all but given up the throne as the queen of Hollywood Brad must keep working to keep all and sundry happy.In 2009 Inglorious bastards was a hit and with him been one of the most in demand actors in Hollywood I cant see Brad running out of money or work anytime soon.

5 - Leonardo De Caprio

Leo has produced a number of big hits in the last few years. Most notably The Departed and with his current collaboration with Scorsese in Shutter Island due to be released and a string of more movies in pre production there’s no doubting he’ll be climbing up this ladder in the coming years.

4 - Tom Hanks

Whatever type of movie you want Tom can do it. In Saving Private Ryan he was an astute army officer, in Forrest Gump he was a lovable Alabama simpleton. He’s the most adaptable actor in Hollywood and it’s because of this he is so well paid. In recent years he hasn’t been working as much but with his production company and the earnings from his role as Robert Langdon in the film adaption of the Dan Brown novels his sure to keep the money rolling in.

3 - Will Smith

He’s the only man who can successfully sell a movie on his own. In the last few years he produced bad but profitable movies such as Hancock and 7 pounds. Although hes taking a break at the moment Im sure he’ll back to his best in a few years.

2 - Johnny Depp

Here’s Johnny!!I know wrong Johnny. Depp and Tim Burton have teamed up over the last few years to produce some of the most weird and wonderful movies around. In Charlie and the chocolate factory Depp took on the lead as Willy Wonky. Hes due to play in forthcoming Alice in Wonderland and of course who can forget the Pirates Franchise. He ain’t doing all this for free!

1 - Tom Cruise

Well if Tom hasn’t given all his money away to his church or to his ex wife he is surely the richest actor in Hollywood. He is estimated to be worth somewhere in the region of 624$. He not only commands one of the highest salaries in Hollywood but is also usually involved in a lot of the production that goes into his films. The 4th instalment in the Mission Impossible franchise is set to be released in 2011 and what income constantly streaming from some of his earlier large hits Tom is most certainly the richest man in Hollywood.

• Reference/Source: Hubpages.com

Source: www.askmen.com | The richest men of all time category is a bit like a revolving door in that the leader is often supplanted. Evidently, times change and so do fortunes -- even well after death in some cases. So, let’s see who stands where. We’re looking at estimated net worth at each man’s peak (or peak to date), put in 2008 U.S. dollars through comparisons of the U.S. gross domestic product and using calculations provided by the U.S. Department of Labor -- Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Since this article is about numbers, let’s ditch the lengthy introduction and get to know who the richest men of all time are currently.

Number 10

Carlos Slim Helu (1940 - )

$60 billion

The Mexican communications industry and other interests have been kind to Carlos Slim, to say the least. It’s said that between 2005 and 2007, Slim’s worth has doubled. In that period, his fortune grew around $27 million -- daily. The reason is simple: he owns everything in Mexico. Over 200 companies are under his thumb, ranging from the aforementioned telecom to transportation, and from cigarettes to soft drinks. He’s dismissed the title of “world’s richest man” with indifference, claiming that designation isn’t his kind of competition. Whether he wants it or not, he has been designated as one of the world’s richest men of all time.

Number 9

Warren Buffett (1930 - )

$62 billion

Like many who can afford to do so, Warren Buffett doesn’t mind pursuing new acquisitions when the economy is tanking. His latest was a joint effort with Mars for a $23 billion buy of Wrigley. Still, you might get the impression that he’s not in all this for the same reasons as others. This is the man who appeared before Congress last fall and warned of the rise of “dynastic wealth,” stressing the importance of the estate tax. Buffett also earmarked $31 billion for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Only the richest men of all time can donate billions.

Number 8

Sam Walton (1918 - 1992)

$62.1 billion

Sam Walton’s passing in 1992 came too soon for him to see the full potential of his Wal-Mart empire, though he was certainly successful in his lifetime. Much of it came from offering things that we take for granted today: good variety and convenient store hours, for example. He also set the stage for efficient, cost-effective central warehousing of merchandise, extending his competitive reach into smaller markets and well beyond his first store in Arkansas.

Number 7

Marshall Field (1834 - 1906)

$63.7 billion

For better or worse, the “customer is always right” philosophy began with Marshall Field. Evidently, Field never saw a little old lady try to return a 20-year-old waffle iron 19 years after its warranty expired. Either way, this early acknowledgment of customer service spelled success. Like the aforementioned Sam Walton, Field’s retail store struck gold by instituting what have become foregone conclusions today. Developing a policy for exchanges was one; displaying merchandise prices was another. Field also did well for himself in his Chicago real estate ventures, but he’ll always be remembered for his department stores.

Number 6

Frederick Weyerhaeuser (1834 - 1914)

$76.5 billion

The man whose name would become synonymous with lumber capitalized on timing and access to resources to build his fortune. Frederick Weyerhaeuser’s timber resources after the Civil War were considerable, and demand was even greater. Though it would never fly today, Weyerhaeuser extensively clear-cut in the Midwest, creating farming opportunities in many areas and a permanent economic shift.

Number 5

John Jacob Astor (1763 - 1848)

$116.6 billion

If John Jacob Astor were alive to hear industry critics’ “fur kills” cries, he might partially agree. He did, after all, make a killing in fur and it made him the first millionaire in America. Upon overhearing a man discussing fur trading, Astor decided to pursue it himself and realized great success. Along the way, he diversified and dabbled in selling opium -- again, he was successful. Decades later, he got out of the fur business and segued into New York City real estate.

Number 4

Bill Gates (1955 - )

$124 billion

Even if Bill Gates’ currently estimated $58 billion fortune is down from its heady peak nearly a decade ago, the Harvard dropout and Microsoft leader is hardly hurting. After the proposed merger with Yahoo fizzled out and shares dropped in the dominant company he cofounded, he’s probably not losing sleep. He is no doubt looking forward to stepping back from his current role at Microsoft and devoting more time to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, currently $38.7 billion strong.

Number 3

Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794 - 1877)

$178.4 billion

You can’t necessarily get rich by playing nice, and Cornelius Vanderbilt apparently took that to heart. If some point to Sam Walton as the one who unfairly undercut prices, they should look a little further back to Vanderbilt. In his early years in the steamboat business, he would undercut competitors to the point of his own unprofitability, just to make a point. That ruthless competitive nature typified Vanderbilt through his years, especially in the way he ran his railroad empire. He may not have always played nice, but without exception, he played to win.

Number 2

Andrew Carnegie (1835 - 1919)

$297.8 billion

Steel wasn’t a bad business pursuit in the late 1800s. It paid off for Andrew Carnegie and continued to pay handsomely through philanthropy long after his death. A self-made man from humble beginnings, Carnegie worked hard from childhood. He didn’t enjoy overnight success, but he did realize almost continual progress. His savings became investments and his investments became capital for the business ventures for which he would later be known. Even if today’s wealth seekers don’t necessarily follow Carnegie’s principles for philanthropy, they do still highly regard his formulas for acquiring the means.

Number 1

John D. Rockefeller (1839 - 1937)

$323.4 billion

You have to wonder how John D. Rockefeller would fare as a major player in Big Oil today. After all, he founded Standard Oil in 1870, and it wasn’t long before he dominated the industry. Naturally, some didn’t take kindly to that and the company was eventually found to have monopolized. Yet, for all Rockefeller’s detractors, the U.S.’s first billionaire was a serious philanthropist to education, medicine and science. From a legacy standpoint, however, he’s best remembered for his unfathomable wealth. Even today, the name connotes “money.”

big money

Even before you put these men’s peak wealth into today’s dollars, their fortunes are as formidable as their accomplishments. Only time will tell whether the richest of the rich will ever be usurped.

Source: www.forbes.com |
US first lady Michelle Obama was named the world's most powerful woman by Forbes magazine, toppling German Chancellor Angela Merkel after four years on top.

Performance artist Lady Gaga made the top 10, coming in seventh.

Merkel was relegated to the fourth position, preceded by Kraft Foods Inc chief executive Irene Rosenfeld and talk show host Oprah Winfrey at second and third place, respectively.

Obama has "made the office of first lady her own," Forbes said. While more involved in policy than her predecessor, Laura Bush, Obama has stayed away from "hard policy," unlike Hillary Clinton did when she was first lady.

"A fashion icon and an athletic mother of two, she's Jackie Kennedy with a law degree from Harvard and street sense from Chicago's South Side," Forbes said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton came in fifth, followed by Pepsi Co chief executive Indra Nooyi and Lady Gaga.

The chief executive of Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, Gail Kelly, was the only other non-US power woman in the magazine's top 10 list.

Singer Beyonce Knowles and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres completed the top 10.

Source: www.justsharethis.com |

No 1.Barack Obama
President-United States of America-Age: 48
Presides over world’s largest, most innovative, most dynamic economy; commander-in-chief of planet’s richest, deadliest military; finger on button of nuclear arsenal containing more than 5,000 warheads; head-of-state of world’s sole superpower; his Democrats have majorities in both U.S. House and Senate; recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize, apparently for general awesomeness.

2 Hu Jintao

President-People’s Republic of China-Age: 66 Paramount political leader of more people than anyone else on the planet; 1.3 billion Chinese, some 70% in their prime working years of ages 15 to 64 powering world’s low-cost workshop, transforming nation. "Coming-out party" at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games showcased young, modern, harmonious society. Credible estimates have China poised to overtake U.S. as world’s largest economy in 25 years—although, crucially, not on a per-capita basisHu Jintao

3 Vladimir Putin

Prime Minister-Russia-Age: 57 Prime Minister might as well be known as Czar, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russians. Vastly more powerful than his handpicked head-of-state, President Dmitry Medvedev. Presides over one-ninth of Earth’s land area, vast energy and mineral resources. Former KGB officer unafraid to wield his power; invading Georgia, cutting off natural gas supplies to Ukraine or Western Europe (again). Declared nuclear power has veto on U.N.’s Security Council. The anti-Obama: "I’m deeply convinced that constant change is not for the better."Vladimir Putin

4 Ben S. Bernanke

Chairman-Federal Reserve-U.S.-Age: 55 Former chairman of Princeton’s economics department and noted Great Depression scholar now guiding world’s largest economy through Great Recession; has overseen massive growth in Fed’s balance sheet, from less than $900 billion in liabilities in August 2008 to more than $2.1 trillion today. With federal funds rate now effectively 0%, the so-called Bernanke Doctrine calls for using monetary policy to stave off deflation. "The U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press, that allows it to produce as many dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost."

5 Sergey Brin and Larry Page

Founders-Google-U.S.-Age: 36 If knowledge is power, maybe information is too. Brainy duo met in Stanford computer science Ph.D. program, now trying to put all the world’s information at your fingertips. Known for collecting best and brightest young tech talent at Mountain View, Calif., "Googleplex"; employees encouraged to spend one day a week on personal projects; company often named "Best Place To Work" in America. Google guys’ combined net worth of $30.6 billion would place them third on the Forbes 400. Yet despite professed intentions to "do no evil," Google is blamed in some quarters for decimating traditional publishing, journalism. Brin: "Some say Google is God, others say Google is Satan."

6 Carlos Slim Helu

Chief executive-Telmex-Mexico-Age: 69 World’s third-richest man is dominant economic force in Mexico, personal fortune equivalent to some 2% of Mexican GDP. Telecommunications monopolist: His Telemex owns 90% of Mexico’s fixed telephone lines; his TelCel has 90% of wireless market. Also head of group dedicated to improving Mexico’s roads, energy infrastructure, water supply. New focus, media: Last fall snapped up 7% stake in the New York Times Co., largest after Sulzberger owner-family. "I think it’s perverse to believe there shouldn’t be strong companies in poor countries."

7 Rupert Murdoch

Chairman-News Corp.-U.S.-Age: 78 "The man who owns the news" still believes in print, not afraid to use vast media holdings to further personal political views. Media empire includes leading British (the Times), Australian (The Australian), American (The Wall Street Journal) newspapers, in addition to tabloids like the New York Post and The Sun (U.K.). Also movies (20th Century Fox), books (HarperCollins), television (Fox, BSkyB), online (MySpace). Weak ad-marketing hurting his News Corp.: net loss of $3.4 billion in fiscal 2009, stock off March lows, but still well below 2007 levels, when he made a $5.6 billion gamble on Dow Jones. Accused Google of stealing content; threatened to block search engine from indexing his Web sites. "Quality journalism isn’t cheap."

8 Michael T. Duke

President, CEO and Director-Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.-U.S.-Age: 59
Runs world’s largest retailer, more country than company: $401 billion in annual sales, 2 million employees, 8,000 stores. Wal-Mart alone is China’s eighth-largest trading partner. Largest private-sector employer in U.S.; favorite target of unions; blamed and praised for backing Obama health care proposals, shifting economic power from manufacturers to retailers, from mom-and-pop to big box. "I am competitive by nature and I want to win."

9 Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud

King Saudi Arabia-Age: 85 Absolute ruler of desert kingdom that contains the world’s largest crude oil reserves, two holiest sites in Islam. State-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco most profitable company on Earth, earns more than $200 billion a year, has reserves of 260 billion barrels or 25% of planet’s known supply. Ultimate succession unclear: 85-year-old king’s official heir is 81-year-old Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. In 2006, established committee of senior princes to ensure smooth transition in the event both become incapacitated.

10 William Gates III

Co-Chair-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-U.S.-Age: 54 Richest man in the world monopolized, transformed software business. More than 85% of world’s hundreds of millions of computer users stare at, struggle with, Microsoft products on daily basis. Second act: Saving the world. Still Microsoft chairman, but now devotes day-to-day to his Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, the largest charity on Earth with $34 billion endowment. Foundation devoted to reducing hunger, improving education and fighting diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS.