by Michael Noer and Nicole Perlroth
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 provided by Forbes

U.S. President Barack Obama emerged, unanimously, as the world’s most powerful person, and by a wide margin. But there were a number of surprises. Former President George W. Bush didn’t come close to making the final cut, while his predecessor in the Oval Office, Bill Clinton, ranks 31st, ahead of a number of sitting heads of government. Apple’s Steve Jobs easily made the list, while Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie star governor of California (alone, the world’s fifth largest economy) did not.

1. Barack Obama

How powerful is he? Let’s count the ways:

* 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.

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