20 Influential People to Watch in 2019

Former First Lady Michelle Obama left the White House about two years ago, but she continues to exert influence. Her memoir “Becoming” sold 3 million copies by early December and was the best-selling book in the United States in 2018, according to NPD Bookscan. She was also selected as the most admired woman in the United States in a Gallup poll released last year.

With her surprise win over a seasoned New York Democrat incumbent in the congressional primary, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez has become a household name in politics overnight. Notable both for her age — at 29, she is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress — her Democratic Socialist politics, and her candor, the sky appears to be the limit for Ocasio-Cortez.

“King James,” who has won NBA titles with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, has decamped to the Los Angeles Lakers with ambitions of winning a championship on the West Coast. Off the court, he has extended his influence in the entertainment industry as co-owner of production company SpringHill Entertainment. He also started a school in his hometown of Akron, OH.

Helping to found Microsoft would have been more than enough to place Bill Gates on a list of influential people. However, Gates has endeavored to make a difference in the philanthropic world, as he and wife Melinda created a foundation that aims to improve lives and lift people out of poverty.

Barbados-born singer Rihanna continues to be one of the most influential pop idols in the world. In addition to her widespread musical success, the singer has been able to leverage her popularity into business, launching highly successful cosmetics and lingerie brands.

Rami Malek has extended his acclaim from television, where he won an Emmy award as lead actor in the psychological drama “Mr. Robot,” into motion pictures where he enthralled audiences as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

The charismatic actor Michael B. Jordan has already found widespread success, just past the age of 30. Jordan has had highly acclaimed roles as the title character in the “Rocky” spinoff “Creed” and “Creed II,” and arguably stole the show as the antagonist Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther.”

Actress-turned director Greta Gerwig first found success as an actress in critically-acclaimed films such as “Frances Ha.” But Gerwig’s smash hit directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” made major waves in an industry dominated by male directors. Gerwig was nominated for Oscars for her screenplay and directing.

Lady Gaga, star of the remake of “A Star is Born” and one of the greatest singers of her generation, is very active on social media, boasting more than 77 million followers on Twitter.

Jeff Bezos has disrupted the retail industry by founding e-commerce company Amazon. But he is also making his presence felt in media. In 2013 he purchased the well-respected Washington Post, which is now boosting its coverage of the technology sector.

Former President Barack Obama has mostly adhered to the custom of not publicly criticizing the current occupant of the White House, but he is not averse to expressing his opinion online or to the traditional media. Obama was selected the most admired man for the 11th year in a row in a Gallup poll.

Rapper Post Malone has had a string of hits. His 2018 album “beerbongs & bentleys” has several tracks with more than 200 million streams each on Spotify, including “rockstar,” which has close to 1.4 billion streams.

After a nearly nine-year hiatus,Nancy Pelosi is back as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Directing a new and diverse generation of Democratic legislators, she is once again the most powerful woman in American politics.

Oprah Winfrey has held considerable influence since hosting a successful television talk show. The actress, film producer, philanthropist, and activist was an unabashed supporter of Barack Obama when he ran for president. She may have presidential ambitions herself in 2020.

Donald Glover, the ever evolving performer, has found much success throughout his career. It seems there is nothing he cannot do. In just over a decade, Glover has achieved fame as a YouTube sketch comedy star, a writer on “30 Rock,” a sitcom actor, a stand-up comedian, a wildly successful hip hop artist, and the writer and creator of his own critically and commercially-successful television show.

The pop star survived some difficult times of late in the spotlight, including a bomb attack at her concert in the U.K. in 2017, as well as highly publicized, ill-fated relationships with the now-deceased Mac Miller and SNL star Pete Davidson. Grande appears to have come out stronger, releasing the wildly successful album “Sweetener.”

Korean pop music, or K-pop, is becoming ever more popular by the day. And the seven-member boy band BTS is leading the way for the genre’s breakthrough in the West.

Elon Musk’s work as a visionary entrepreneur and engineer has made him one of the world’s most admired billionaires. Musk, a zealous user of Twitter, leads rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX and electric car and energy company Tesla, which is now among the 10 biggest car companies in the world.

President Donald Trump remains one of the most influential people on Earth. In addition to wielding his power as the nation’s commander in chief, he holds court with his 57 million Twitter followers.

Singer/rap artist Cardi B, with her self-proclaimed “no filter attitude,” has garnered millions of followers on social media platforms like Instagram. She has influenced the younger generation with her outlook on life, her music, and her style. She has been nominated for five Grammys this year.