They are the people who inspire us, entertain us, challenge us and change our world. Meet the breakouts, pioneers, moguls, leaders and icons who make up this year’s TIME 100.
Our own president makes the cut umh… well lets celebrate with him and not wash our dirty linings outside, here’s what Ellen Johson Sirleaf had to say about him
The ninth annual list includes Warren Buffett, Mitt Romney, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Hillary Clinton, Ron Paul, Angela Merkel, Christine Lagarde, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Pippa Middleton, NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and many others.
Several celebrities made the list this year, including Rihanna, Chelsea Handler, Claire Danes, Kristen Wiig, Louis C.K., Stephen Colbert and Viola Davis.
The list features 54 international figures from 37 countries and also includes several controversial figures, such as Syrian President Bashar Assad, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.
It’s divided into five categories: Moguls, Breakouts, Icons, Pioneers and Leaders.
There are 38 women on the 2012 Time 100 — more than ever before. See the entire list here.
As always, Time magazine asks well-known figures to write the entries for the new list of influential people.