Putin trumps Trump in Forbes global power rankings

This article is more than 12 months old

Dec 16, 2016 06:00 am

NEW YORK Vladimir Putin was named the world's most powerful person for a fourth straight year, with US president-elect Donald Trump in second place, Forbes magazine said in its annual rankings.

"Russia's President has exerted his country's influence in nearly every corner of the globe," the US business magazine wrote.

"From the motherland to Syria to the US presidential elections, Putin continues to get what he wants," Forbes said, adding that the 64-year-old Russian leader is "unconstrained by conventional global norms (and) his reach has magnified in recent years".

The magazine noted that at No. 2, Mr Trump, who becomes the US leader in a little over a month, "has a seeming immunity to scandal, both houses of Congress on his side, and a personal net worth in the billions".

Mr Trump, who was elected US president last month, was listed 72nd in Forbes' 2015 power rankings.

TNP INFOGRAPHICS: CEL GULAPA, SOURCE: AFP

Third place this year went to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been at the helm of Europe's economic powerhouse for 11 years and will run for re-election next year.