"Forbes" magazine said Vladimir Putin is the world's most powerful person. Barack Obama is second. "Forbes" makes lists of the rich and famous. This list asked if "the autocratic leader of a former superpower" had more power than "the handcuffed commander-in-chief" of the world's most dominant country. It said Obama is a "lame duck" president. This is because of the recent government shutdown, Syria, and spying and security leaks scandals.

Forbes said it showed 72 of the people who matter the most. These are heads of state, financiers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs "who truly run the world." Forbes looked at four things. One is who has power over lots of people; second is the person's wealth; third is if the person has power in different areas; and finally, how much he or she "actively uses their power". The U.N. Secretary-General was 22 places behind the CEO of retail giant Wal-Mart.