Putin first, Obama third in Forbes’ most powerful list

by Jesse Byrnes - 11/04/15 11:38 AM ET

Russian President Vladimir Putin tops Forbes’s annual list of the World’s Most Powerful People for the third consecutive year.

President Obama slipped from second to third in the list released on Wednesday, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the most powerful woman to appear on the list, rose three spots to second.

{mosads}”Putin continues to prove he’s one of the few men in the world powerful enough to do what he wants — and get away with it,” Forbes wrote in explaining why Putin tops the list.

It noted Russia’s annexation of the Urkaine territory of Crimea in 2014 and Russia’s more commanding role in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Russia conducted airstrikes in Syria last month that Putin said were aimed at ISIS but that the U.S. believes were intended to also hurt rebels fighting the Assad regime.

On the U.S. front, Forbes said that “as Obama enters the final year of his presidency, it’s clear his influence is shrinking, and it’s a bigger struggle than ever to get things done.”

Others on the list include Pope Francis (No. 4), Chinese President Xi Jinping (No. 5), billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates (No. 6), Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen (No. 7) and British Prime Minister David Cameron (No. 8). Donald Trump, a GOP presidential candidate, is also on the list at No. 72.

View the full rankings here.

Tags Angela Merkel Barack Obama Forbes Vladimir Putin