Top 10 most powerful business leaders in 2024: Find out sole Indian among Global 100

In a remarkable mention, the CEO and founder of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, recently became the first person in history to have a net worth surpassing $400 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Also Read: Top 10 billionaires set to become trillionaires by 2030—Musk and Adani on track

Musk has been ranked as the most powerful person in business as of 2024 for his remarkable contributions to technology and sustainability.

Following Musk is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who leads one of the world’s most valuable corporations due to his transformative impact on technology and innovation in computing and artificial intelligence (AI).

Huang’s net worth increased from $3.6 billion to $124.1 billion at the market close, owing to an increase in shares of Nvidia, which surged 4.1% to a new all-time high of over $144, according to Forbes.

In a notable acknowledgement, Mary Barra, the sole female executive in the top ten rankings, is recognised as the leading figure among the 100 most influential women in business for 2024.

As CEO of General Motors, Barra has steered the company toward its best financial standing in years, transforming its corporate culture and restructuring its product offerings. (Credit: Reuters)

Other notable leaders include Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Sam Altman of Open AI, and more, in the Fortune 100 Most Powerful People in Business 2024.

Ranking the individuals whose decisions and visions are not only transforming their companies but also impacting economies and societies worldwide, here are the top 10 most powerful people in business globally, as of 2024.

The world’s top 10 most powerful people in business, as of 2024

Rank	Name	Designation	Associated Companies
1	Elon Musk	CEO and Founder	Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), xAI
2	Jensen Huang	CEO, President, and Founder	NVIDIA
3	Satya Nadella	CEO	Microsoft
4	Warren Buffett	Chairman and CEO	Berkshire Hathaway
5	Jamie Dimon	Chairman and CEO	JPMorgan Chase
6	Tim Cook	CEO	Apple
7	Mark Zuckerberg	CEO and Founder	Meta
8	Sam Altman	CEO and	OpenAI
9	Mary Barra	Chairperson and CEO	General Motors
10	Sundar Pichai	CEO	Alphabet (Google)

Source: Fortune, World’s 100 Most Powerful People in Business

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One and only Indian businessman featured in the Global 100

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Ltd. (Image: RIL)

Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, one of India’s most valuable companies, has achieved a remarkable milestone by being the only Indian included in the Fortune 100 Most Powerful People in Business list.

Reliance is a major conglomerate in India, with diverse interests in petrochemicals, retail, entertainment, and telecommunications.

Ranking 12th globally in the Fortune Global 100, Ambani is recognized as Asia’s richest person and the eleventh richest in the world, with an estimated net worth of around $100 billion as of November 2024.

Methodology: How is power accurately measured?

It’s not solely determined by revenue or an individual’s position within a company.

Power can be assessed through a variety of dimensions, including the size and profitability of a business, its market value, liquidity, operational efficiency, solvency, capacity for innovation, influence, career progression, and overall impact.

The list of the Most Powerful People encompasses leaders from 40 diverse industries, ranging in age from their 30s to their 90s—founders, CEOs, disruptors, and innovators.

What they all have in common is the significant ability to shape the ideas and actions of others through their words, actions, and resources.

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