Forbes Names Vladimir Putin The Most Powerful Person In The World

The Daily News reports:

The leader of the free world is playing second fiddle to Vladimir Putin. The Russian autocrat knocked President Obama off the top spot in Forbes’ fifth annual ranking of “The World’s Most Powerful People.” Putin got the honor by outfoxing Obama by granting asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, who has been spilling U.S. spying secrets, said Forbes. Also, it was Putin who scored a diplomatic coup — not Obama — by getting Syria to hand over their chemical weapons to avert threatened U.S. missile strikes. “Putin has solidified his control over Russia, while Obama's lame duck period has seemingly set in earlier than usual for a two-term president — latest example: the government shutdown mess,” wrote Forbes writer Caroline Howard.

President Obama topped the list in 2009, 2011, and 2012. In first place in 2010 was then Chinese leader Hu Jintao. Finishing this year just outside the top ten are tech leaders Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin, and Tim Cook.  Full list here.