Forbes List Shows Google Founders Losing Power

By Jane McEntegart
published

Steve Jobs is powering up, but he's still no match for Bill Gates. Meanwhile, Google's founders are dropping further down the list.

These days, it seems like Google has a hand in every market. However, the company is apparently losing power. At least, its founders are. Larry Page and Sergey Brin have dropped to 22nd and 23rd place on Forbes' Most Powerful People list. Last year, the pair managed to make the top ten, jointly occupying fifth place on the list.

Though they've dropped a good 17 places, the Google founders are in good company, with numerous tech figures appearing on the list of the 68 most powerful people in the world. Bottom of the list is Wikileaks Editor-in-Chief Julian Assange. Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, came in at 66; Tata Sons Chairman, Ratan Tata, placed at 61; Baidu CEO,

Robin Li, nabbed 46; Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg got the 40th spot, sandwiched between the Secretary-General of the UN and the Dalai Lama; Li Ka-Shing, Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa and Chueng Kong, placed at number 36; CEO of GE, Jeffrey Immelt, is at number 35; Telmex Chairman, Carlo Slim Helu, placed 21st and Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, comes in at 17.

The only tech figure to place in the top ten was Bill Gates and he did so by the skin of his teeth, placing tenth between Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, and Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian National Congress. People's Republic of China President, Hu Jintao; U.S. President, Barack Obama; and King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, claimed places one, two and three.

Check out the full list here.

Source: Forbes

Jane McEntegart

Jane McEntegart works in marketing communications at Intel and was previously Manager of Content Marketing at ASUS North America. Before that, she worked for more than seven years at Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, holding such roles as Contributing Editor and Senior News Editor and writing about everything from smartphones to tablets and games consoles.

17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • plznote
    Inetersting...
    Reply
  • aznguy0028
    Eh, they're still more rich than any of us will be in our lifetimes.
    Reply
  • jossrik
    Power should be in the hands of the people, even though that's not the case, even in countries where it's supposed to be.
    Reply
  • Dalai Lamer? ok this list is stupid.
    Reply
  • Haserath
    What? Steve Jobs isn't #1? Blasphemy!

    Google won't be disappearing from the big players for many years to come, even if they are "losing power" for now. Still making tons of money and won't be stopping anytime soon.
    Reply
  • Lord_gandalf
    "Steve Jobs is powering up, but he's still no match for Bill Gates." I'm sooo much in love with this line.
    Reply
  • seboj
    I've never understood this list. It's all arbitrary based on someone's opinion, no matter how much "methodology" they tote. The power these people hold is completely relative, so it's like comparing apples to tennis shoes. They even admit it themselves :

    Comparing the relative power of such a diverse group is slippery business

    Surely Forbes can find a more productive way to waste their time.
    Reply
  • randomizer
    rotsaeDalai Lamer? ok this list is stupid.The Dalai Lama is a very politically and religiously influential person. He's no Pope, but he has a significant following and in recent times his teachings have become popular in some western societies.

    What is really surprising is that a dead man managed to sneak into #57.
    Reply
  • Goobles
    Wouldn't this be stating that Google is losing power, which is disagreeable as the founders are in direct correlation with the company itself and if the company was still doing well then they would still be powerful? I never see Larry Page and Sergey Brin have made big changes, its normally Google in the headlines. Forbes lists confuses me, only effective when it comes has to do with monetary value =D How is this measured? Name circulation? Wheres Donald Trump! haha =D
    Reply
  • False_Dmitry_II
    They are aware that Gates doesn't, like, run stuff anymore right?
    Reply