First Angela Merkel, second Janet Yellen, 75th Miuccia Prada. The latest ranking of the 100 most powerful women in the world compiled by Forbes is quite heterogeneous, but as usual very popular. In the very first positions of the 2014 ranking, in truth, there is no surprise: the German chancellor is confirmed as a gold medalist for the fourth consecutive year, followed - as was predictable - by the new governor of the Federal Reserve, the Central Bank American.
The most interesting names start from the third step of the podium, where a much less known woman is placed, at least in Italy. The surname says a lot: it is Melinda Gates, co-president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as wife of the multi-billionaire founder of Microsoft.
The only one to keep up the image of the Italian flag is, as we said, the indomitable Miuccia Prada, who however this year loses several positions, slipping from 58th to number 75. The president of Brazil, Dilma Rouseff, also falls, but only two steps up, from second to fourth place.
Instead, the director general of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, gains two positions and becomes fifth. Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state and possible candidate for the 2016 presidential elections, gives up one box and comes sixth. American first lady Michelle Obama passes from fourth to eighth step within a year.
In addition, the top ten includes three super-managers: in seventh place Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, in ninth Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, and in tenth Virginia Rometty, head of the IT giant IBM.
In all, there are 28 women with a CEO role (with total revenues of 1.700 billion), while those who have founded their own company are 18, including the billionaire Sara Blakely, the self-made woman at the head of the lingerie company Spanx underwear. Thirteen of the names in the rankings have assets in excess of $81 billion.
There are nine heads of state and they lead countries which – combined – have a GDP of 11.100 billion and a population of 641 million people. In all, the 100 women boast 812 million social media followers.
