Putin is more powerful than Obama, according to Forbes

Vladimir Putin (left) and Barack Obama (right)

(Image credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages)

published 4 November 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin would probably be pretty pleased with Forbes' latest list of the world's most powerful people. For the third year in a row, Putin reigns supreme as the most powerful person in the world, ahead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in second place and President Obama in third.

"Putin continues to prove he's one of the few men in the world powerful enough to do what he wants — and get away with it," Forbes wrote, noting Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the country's recent role in the war against the Islamic State.

Obama's power, however, is declining as he nears the end of his tenure in the Oval Office, Forbes says. The president ranks one spot lower on the list than last year — he was beaten by the most powerful woman in the rankings, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for second place. "As Obama enters the final year of his presidency, it's clear his influence is shrinking and it's a bigger struggle than ever to get things done," Forbes writes.