Special Report

20 Influential People to Watch in 2020

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For most of the history of mass media, the people who influenced the culture were limited to those in entertainment, politics, education, and occasionally sports. They did so through media such as print, radio, and broadcast television. Social media, the internet, and 24-hour news cycles have changed all that, influencing what we watch, buy, listen to, and read. 

As the year winds down, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the 20 influential people to watch in 2020. We considered heads of state in the world’s largest countries, CEOs of the largest public companies, leaders of the world’s largest publishers and internet companies, leaders of global foundations, political figures in the public spotlight, and individuals on Time’s “The Most Influential People of 2019” and Forbes’ “The World’s Most Powerful People.” 

To approximate influence in 2020, we reviewed such measures as number of individual donors reported in campaign finance reports, numbers of social media followers, total Wikipedia page views in 2019 for selected individuals, and valuations of public and private companies. We ensured our list covered numerous spheres of influence, from politics to entertainment to business to sports by limiting the number of individuals that could appear in any one of these categories. 

While it is true that the aforementioned culture bearers in entertainment, politics, and sports have used social media to their advantage, digital platforms have opened up communication opportunities for others, such as fashion icons, bloggers, and even religious leaders. Besides being influential, some of these people are also among the world’s most admired people. Here are the most admired people of the year.

In addition to politicians and entertainment figures on our list such as Nancy Pelosi and Cardi B, we’ve also included activists like the Hong Kong protesters and Greta Thunberg. Demonstrators in Hong Kong have taken to the streets over concerns about the encroachment on Hong Kong’s autonomy by a repressive China. Thunberg, who at 16 years old recently became Time magazine’s youngest person of the year, has spoken up on behalf of her generation’s fears about climate change. Here is our list of heroes fighting to save our oceans.

Click here to see the 20 most influential people to watch in 2020

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1. Greta Thunberg
> Role: Activist

Environmental and climate-change activist Greta Thunberg became the youngest Time Person of the Year for 2019 at age 16. The Swedish teen was invited to speak at the U.N. Climate Action Summit in September 2019 and made the trip by crossing the Atlantic on a zero-emissions yacht in 15 days. After arriving in New York, Thunberg spoke at a massive climate action event before speaking at the U.N., an occasion that was marked by her frank tone about the future of the planet.

Climate activists such as Thunberg will receive greater attention in 2020 and beyond as the climate emergency continues to escalate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on Dec. 16 that November 2019 was the second hottest November for the planet since record-keeping began 140 years ago. Yet action mitigate that crisis has so far been limited. Thunberg and the voices of the younger generation will no doubt become louder, demanding change.

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2. Donald Trump
> Role: President of the United States

Donald Trump, who’s made a career out of disrupting the status quo, has continued to do so as president of the United States. Trump’s polarizing demeanor and what some would say is his ham-handed management of the chief executive office have antagonized political opponents. The House Judiciary Committee voted on Friday to advance two articles of impeachment against Trump, accusing the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump has claimed partisan bias among Democrats during the impeachment process and used that claim at public speaking events.

Impeachment will dominate the political discourse in 2020, which is a presidential election year — and Trump is running for re-election. The president will undoubtedly continue to use Twitter as he has to take on his opponents and try to make his case for returning him to office.

Adam Berry / Getty Images

3. Vladimir Putin
> Role: President of Russia

Vladimir Putin, who’s been president of Russia since 2012, exercises considerable influence on the world stage. He is very popular in his home country because he is trying to restore Russia to its past glory and the influence it enjoyed during the eras of the czars and the Soviet Union.

Outside of Russia, however, Putin’s push for greater influence has alarmed the international community. Under Putin, Russia has seized Crimea, and Russian troops are fighting in other parts of Ukraine. He forged an agreement with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to expel Kurdish forces from northern Syria, as Russia has extended its regional influence in the Middle East. Russia under Putin has also been accused of meddling in America’s elections.

4. Ariana Grande
> Role: Pop singer

Ariana Grande has become one of the biggest pop stars in the world, and the Grammy Award-winning singer has used her fame and social media platform to advocate for causes such as LGBTQ rights.

Professionally, 2019 was a banner year for the Florida native. She regularly performed before sold-out crowds on her “Sweetener World Tour” that started in March and ends in late December. Three of her Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits were released in 2019, including her second chart-topper, “7 Rings.” Grande, along with Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey, is providing music for the soundtrack to the reboot of “Charlie’s Angels.”

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5. Mark Zuckerberg
> Role: Founder of Facebook

With a personal worth of about $73 billion, the founder of Facebook continues to deal with critics who are chiding the social media platform for disseminating fake news in 2019. The Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook an agency record penalty of $5 billion for violating customers’ privacy in July.

Conservatives claim the social network is biased and have said Facebook’s audit that sought to address those accusations was a whitewash. For their part, liberals have said the audit legitimized conservative claims of bias. With the 2020 presidential election less than a year away, Facebook will be under the microscope for its news dissemination from all sides of the political spectrum.

Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images

6. Pope Francis
> Role: Leader of Catholic Church

Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, which has over 1 billion followers, continues to face the church’s ongoing controversy surrounding sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clerics, a problem that threatens the future legitimacy of the 2,000-year-old church. In February, the pontiff called a meeting of church leadership for a meeting about the issue. Francis has spoken out about getting to the root of the problem and the abuse of power.

The pope is busy shaping the papacy in his image by engaging in dialogue on issues such as migration, climate change, and the inclusion of gay Catholics, and is striving to bring lapsed Catholics back to the church. He’s extending his legacy by naming cardinals — today, more than half of the College of Cardinals have been appointed by Francis.

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Lintao Zhang / Getty Images

7. Xi Jinping
> Role: President of China

The leader of the world’s most populous nation, President Xi Jinping has led his nation’s rise to economic superpower status. Greatly admired at home and in many countries around the world, Xi has been a champion of massive infrastructure projects that will help boost China’s competitiveness in the future.

Xi has been locked in an ongoing battle with U.S. President Donald Trump over trade tariffs. China is looking to diversify its economy and become less reliant on the United States as a trading partner. Xi will likely continue to extend his influence since term limits for Chinese presidents and vice presidents were abolished in March 2018.

Xi has been criticized for China’s aggressive crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong. The protests were triggered in June by a bill that would permit extradition from Hong Kong to the mainland. Since then, Chinese military presence has more than doubled in Hong Kong.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

8. Warren Buffett
> Role: Investor

Investor Warren Buffett will be 90-years-old next year, and his nickname, “The Oracle of Omaha,” is well earned — the investment community has closely followed his every investing move, and will likely continue to do so. When Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought $234 million in shares or RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) in November, for example, it was seen by some market watchers as indicative of forecasts that the Dow Jones Industrial Average will surge in the near future.

Buffett, who has been investing since 1941, said he plans to give away 99% of his wealth, which is valued at $89.8 billion. He donated $3.6 billion in 2019, much of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

9. Jeff Bezos
> Role: Founder of Amazon

The founder of Amazon is also the owner of the Washington Post as well as aerospace company Blue Origin. Forbes estimates Bezos’ net worth at $109.6 billion. In 2018, Amazon posted revenue of $230 billion and a net profit of $10 billion, more than tripling its $3 billion profit the prior year. The company has disrupted industries such as brick-and-mortar retail, grocery delivery, movie and television content, real estate, mobile phones, social media, and music streaming.

Amazon sought to expand its footprint from Washington state by making a highly publicized search for a second headquarters last year. The company’s attempt at establishing a second headquarters in Long Island City, Queens, was rebuffed by political activists.

Within three years of buying the Washington Post in 2013, Bezos had doubled its web traffic and helped it become profitable. Earlier this year, Bezos’ Blue Origin aerospace company launched a reusable New Shepard rocket that made a soft landing.

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Rob Stothard / Getty Images

10. Narendra Modi
> Role: Prime minister of India

Narendra Modi was first elected prime minister of India, the world’s largest democracy, in 2014 on a platform of improving the nation’s transportation infrastructure and opening up the country to direct foreign investment.

Modi has championed Hindu culture, which some criticized as exclusionary toward Muslims, especially in the province of Kashmir, which has a Muslim majority. In early December, Indian lawmakers passed a change to the nation’s citizenship law to include religion as a criterion for nationality to make it easier for refugees of certain faiths from neighboring countries who are being persecuted to gain citizenship. The measure is seen by many as divisive because is does not include Muslims. India is home to 200 million Muslims.

India has also been chided for its poor treatment of women and been tainted by recent stories about women who have been gang-raped and murdered. Modi has spoken about the mistreatment of women, but critics have said the country has not acted strongly enough to stop the violence.

Anthony Kwan / Getty Images

11. Hong Kong Protestors
> Role: Activists

The massive protests in the former British colony began in March 2019, when the Hong Kong government proposed a bill that would permit extraditions to mainland China. In response, the people of Hong Kong demonstrated in the streets. A protest in June drew as many as 2 million people. Despite a violent reaction from Hong Kong police, who used batons, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and water cannons on the demonstrators, the protests continued.

The demonstrations succeeded in getting the extradition bill withdrawn, but the protesters have expanded their movement in a call for more changes, including ensuring the ability to choose their own leaders.

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Win McNamee / Getty Images

12. Bernie Sanders
> Role: Presidential candidate

In the fluid race for the Democratic presidential nomination, 78-year-old candidate Bernie Sanders is holding his own. The self-styled socialist senator from Vermont has cut into front-runner Joe Biden’s lead in the latest YouGov poll..

This year, Sanders picked up endorsements from freshman congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, as well as of the 600,000-member coalition Center for Popular Democracy Action and the 150,000-member and largest union of registered nurses National Nurses United. Sanders has raised more than $73 million in his quest for the presidency, more than any other Democratic candidate, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Sanders made an improbable challenge to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign, getting more than 43% of the national Democratic primary vote.

Michael Regan / Getty Images

13. Cristiano Ronaldo
> Role: Soccer player

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest soccer players of all time. In 2018, the Portuguese soccer star became the first player to win the UEFA Champions League five times. He’s also played on Portugal’s World Cup team four times and scored seven goals in the four tournaments. Ronaldo joined Italian soccer club Juventus in 2018 in a deal that will pay him $64 million a year over four years. After the deal was announced, Juventus sold 520,000 Juventus jerseys with his name on them in 24 hours.

Ronaldo’s Wikipedia page received more than 11 million views over the last 12 months. The 34-year-old’s acclaim extends to social media, where he has nearly 400 million followers.

Ronaldo has also lent his stature to the campaign to combat racism in soccer, titled Stand Up Speak Up, that was launched following a spate of racist incidents at soccer matches across Europe. Last year, Ronaldo went on Instagram to speak in defense of Kalidou Koulibaly after racist chants were aimed at the Napoli defender during a match at Inter Milan.

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

14. Elon Musk
> Role: Founder of Tesla

Entrepreneur Elon Musk has upended various areas of industry, and the business world is curious as to what the visionary plans next.

Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX is boosting the possibility of commercial space travel. In September, SpaceX unveiled a starship designed to fly to the moon and Mars. In December, SpaceX launched its 13th mission this year, sending and returning a reusable rocket.

Musk is also a committed environmentalist who wants to wean society off of fossil fuels. Tesla bought Buffalo, New York-based solar panel maker SolarCity for about $5 billion in 2016. This November, Tesla displayed an all-electric cybertruck intended to compete with Ford’s F series truck. Tesla has improved the viability of electric cars, whose growing acceptance could have a positive impact on the environment.

Among the other futuristic ideas percolating in the mind of the South African-born Musk is an underground “Loop” system that could carry passengers — and even cars — at speeds of up to 150 mph, reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.

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15. Nancy Pelosi
> Role: Speaker of the House of Representatives

Rep. Nancy Pelosi is the first woman to have served as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Currently she is helming the effort to impeach President Donald Trump. To do this, Pelosi has had to rely on her leadership and political skills to pull together the disparate parts of the Democratic Party to advance the process while at the same time attempting to convince members of the opposition Republican Party of the misdeeds of President Trump.

In a demonstration of bipartisanship, Pelosi and the House of Representatives are expected later this month to support a trade deal with Mexico and Canada that was backed by the president.

Paul Morigi / Getty Images

16. Mary Barra
> Role: CEO of General Motors

Mary Barra has overseen a seachange at General Motors, once the largest automobile company in the world. Since taking over as the first female chief executive officer of an American automobile company in 2014, Barra’s strategy for GM has been to pull from several underperforming international markets and push into the electric car market. She told an auto industry conference in New York in November that GM is planning to sell 20 electric vehicle models by 2023. As the 13th largest-revenue U.S. corporation in the world, GM will likely continue to wield tremendous influence.

Barra will also continue in 2020 to influence her 173,000 employees and their families, as well as play a major role in national conversations on labor relations. In October 2019, Barra finalized a labor contract with the United Automobile Workers union, ending the 40-day, 46,000 GM worker strike — the longest strike against the company in a half century.

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Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

17. Billie Eilish
> Role: Singer

Eilish has been called the voice of Generation Z, those born in the mid-to-late 1990s, embodying teen angst and apathy. The Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter, who turns 18 in late December, was named Billboard 2019 Woman of the Year earlier this month. Eilish has already posted two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the chart-topper “Bad Guy.” Her debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Eilish is generating a lot of interest on Wikipedia, and her site has had almost 20 million page views over the last 12 months. She has They’ll also add that she has 44.9 million followers on Instagram, and that Lana Del Rey and Dave Grohl are fans.

Elsa / Getty Images

18. Roger Goodell
> Role: Commissioner of the National Football League

The National Football League is the most dominant sports league in the United States by far, commanding billions of dollars in revenue. NFL games are routinely the most-watched sporting events in the fall and winter, according to Nielsen TV ratings, capped by the most-viewed event of the year, the Super Bowl. At the head of this colossus is Roger Goodell, who is in his 14th year as NFL commissioner.

Besides negotiating the massive revenue deals for the league, Goodell has had to navigate the shoals of several controversies. Goodell dealt with a public relations flap beginning in 2016 regarding players refusing to stand for the national anthem in protest of unfair treatment of African Americans by police. There are also ongoing concerns about the danger the game poses to players and what this could mean for the future of the sport.

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

19. Sundar Pichai
> Role: CEO of Alphabet/Google

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced in early December that Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai will become CEO of Google’s parent company, Alphabet. Page and Brin agreed to leave their roles as CEO and president, respectively, of Alphabet, and will remain on Alphabet’s board.

Pichai is taking over a social media giant that exerts a profound influence over the culture, whose very name has become a noun and a verb. Google has expanded its reach through sophisticated marketing strategies and savvy purchases of companies such as Android, the most popular smartphone operating system, the video-sharing platform YouTube, and the smart security system Nest.

Pichai is credited with convincing Page and Brin to have Google build its own browser — and the result was Chrome. Pichai, who has been at Google since 2004, was eventually put in charge of all of Google’s product areas. He said he plans to build on the mission, values, and culture of collaboration and exploration established by Page and Brin.

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20. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
> Role: Congresswoman

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, has been a vocal advocate for social justice, universal health care, and environmental causes. Earlier this year, she led the opposition to the tax incentives used to induce e-commerce giant Amazon to build a second headquarters in Long Island City, Queens, which is in her district. The social-media savvy legislator reveled in an I-told-you-so moment on Twitter in early December after Amazon agreed to lease 335,000 square feet in the Hudson Yards district of Manhattan without government tax incentives.

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