Who's the most powerful private citizen in the world?

[Kontiki]

I was just thinking about this, but couldn't come up with a really good answer.

By private citizen, I mean someone who doesn't head up a political or other government office, no law enforcement/intelligence agency, no royalty, no military and no religious group (ie: the Pope, or any official of any church).

I figure it's got to be the head of some large corporation, but it would also need to be someone with considerable influence on politicians and/or someone who has a good deal of actual control over their corporation (eg: owns a significant percentage of the shares, is rarely questioned by the board on corporate decisions, etc.).

People that come to mind for me would be Jack Welsh (ok, not any more), perhaps Warren Buffet (considerable influence on investors, owns significant chunks of large companies), Ted Turner (again, not so much anymore, but had a significant influence through media control), Rupert Murdoch (~shudder~ but for the same reasons as Turner).

Any thoughts?

[Dinner]

Money is power and Bill Gates is the world's richest man.

[Pekka]

Yeah.. when Gates talks, stocks goes up or down. Now that's power.

[David Floyd]

The Grandmaster of the Freemasons, of course

[OneFootInTheGrave]

No it is Mr Walton - the richest at the moment me thinks

[Sten Sture]

I don't think it is Bill Gates at all. He doesn't move stocks much - if ever, and most of his $ is tied up in MS shares, so he doesn't swing cash around to that level.

A guy that can move markets though is George Soros - aka Saras - but he keeps a lower profile than he used to.

[Japher]

Bud Selig

[PLATO]

Originally posted by David Floyd
The Grandmaster of the Freemasons, of course

Perhaps the Illustrious Master of the Scottish Rite??

[Andrew1999]

Sam Walton (the Wal-Mart guy) has been dead for years--his fortune was split up among his family.

Rupert Murdoch sounds good to me--he has a lot of influence from his media empire.

[Japher]

Would Bill Clinton count, I doubt anyone listens to him, but is he a private citizen now? What about Jimmy Carter?

[Paul Hanson]

MarkG.

[Jon Miller]

your limitations are somewhat arbitrary

if you don't see any difference between the Pope and George Bush, than I don't see why you see Bill Gates as not exactly the same as them (a position of leadership in a large social group, just becuase Bill Gates has Microsoft and the Pope has the catholics does not mean that it is not the same thing)

Jon Miller

[Winston]

Barbara Bush. She's the only person who can tell the Prez. to wipe his shoes before he enters the kitchen.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by Andrew1999
Sam Walton (the Wal-Mart guy) has been dead for years--his fortune was split up among his family.

Rupert Murdoch sounds good to me--he has a lot of influence from his media empire.

I think it's Robson walton, his son presumably who took over most of it??? but maybe not.. I think it was inthis years Times 2003 richlist

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
your limitations are somewhat arbitrary

if you don't see any difference between the Pope and George Bush, than I don't see why you see Bill Gates as not exactly the same as them (a position of leadership in a large social group, just becuase Bill Gates has Microsoft and the Pope has the catholics does not mean that it is not the same thing)

Jon Miller

I don't think they're arbitrary at all. Both the Pope and Bush, to use your examples, have been elected via some means by lesser people and have limitations on what they can do based on their office (and not just national laws). Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft, no one elected him leader, he didn't seize power within the company and his power is entirely self made.

Put another way, Bush and the Pope are powerful because of their office, not because of individual actions (which, granted, helped them get their). If Bush wasn't elected President, he'd only be as powerful as the office of the governor of Texas is, which he also had to be elected to. Remember also that Bush very nearly wasn't elected president - where would he be then?