Index Methodology
Who Rules The World? is the accumulation of over 80 data points, established and collated over a matter of years.
These consider the many complex facets of power, wealth and influence.
They take into account that to create an accurate reflection of what influence truly means, its many convoluted dimensions have to be considered.
Measured using real-world data for each individual directly, the data also includes the state, company or country over which the person in question resides.
WRTW ranks individuals across five main verticals: Business, Politics, Entertainment, Sport and Media.
Wealth
For Who Rules The World? wealth means so much more than what’s in the bank. It encompasses assets, but also indirect capital. This is the wealth an individual has indirect control over.
As an example, Donald Trump’s personal wealth equates to his individual net worth in his role as a businessman. But the entities over which he yielded power as US president were diverse, far-reaching and considerable.
He held a substantial degree of control over the wealth of the United States of America, so the metric took this into consideration. Consequently, Trump’s standing in the index changed the moment his position changed.
Power
Who Rules The World? defines power as a person’s position within an organisation, state or country – their standing in the hierarchy, as well as who and what they hold under their jurisdiction.
The data collated and amalgamated is based on financial indicators including GDP, military strength and annual budget for states and countries, while market value and revenue were among the metrics taken into account when considering the status of businesses and corporations.
Influence
Where royalty and nobility once stood in isolation, celebrities, politicians and businessmen now reside, and in some cases even rule.
Economics and politics have given way to web traffic, clicks and views – and as such the meaning of influence has been redefined.
Who’s watching, from where and in what volume form the basis of this data set, which revolves around search engine statistics, viewer demographics and social media reach.
THE TOP SPOT
Joe Biden,
U.S. President
Leading the world's most powerful economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic crisis and increased political polarisation put Joe Biden in the top position on the 2022 WRTW index.
Current affairs surrounding the war in Ukraine have increased the already evident global tensions between Russia and NATO, which has resulted in the USA growing exponentially in popularity. This was also instrumental in Biden taking the top spot, which proves that political leaders still rank higher than business leaders. Even Google search results for the USA tripled this year in comparison to 2021.

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