10 Worst People Alive Today

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most evil humans alive at the time of writing.

Ali Khamenei

In 1979, the Iranian Revolution turned Iran into a theocracy. Since then, they’ve had two supreme leaders. The second, Ali Khamenei, has held the position since 1989. He’s an extremely controversial leader who is responsible for the deaths of thousands. Khamenei rules with an iron fist, using overwhelming force to suppress any opponents. He’s a major enemy of feminism, believing it to be a Zionist plot to “corrupt the role of women in society”. Any part of the LGBTQIA+ grinds his gears, and there’s not really anything nice to be said about him.

El Chapo & Nemesio

Cartels are some of the most unethical organisations in human history. Currently, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the most infamous. They’re based in Jalisco, Western Mexico. They’ve been led by two despicable men, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The latter was captured on three separate occasions and was finally convicted in 2019. Estimates claim he has over 34,000 deaths on his hands. Now, they’re run by Nemesio, who is just as despicable a person. He’s currently Mexico’s number one most wanted criminal, and there are huge rewards available for helping capture him.

Josef Fritzl

Unlike other entries on our list, most of Fritzl’s evil deeds were targeted at one person, his daughter. For 24 years, his daughter Elisabeth had been held captive by her own father in Austria. The abuse she suffered is beyond stomach-churning. It resulted in Fritzl & his daughter having seven children in total. Fritzl managed to convince authorities that they were foundlings, allowing him to go unnoticed for years. One child died, three were raised by Fritzl, and the others were left in captivity. It was all revealed in 2008 after Elisabeth’s daughter was taken to a hospital for medical attention. Staff found the situation suspicious and reported it to the police. Now, he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars, as deserved.

Warren Jeffs

Cults are one of the most nefarious organisations a person can get involved in. They often prey on vulnerable people, then make it so they can’t leave, via methods such as blackmail. One of the largest cults was the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They’re a polygamous cult with a tendency to severely abuse minors. One estimate claims ex-leader Warren Jeffs has over 79 wives. It’s unlikely they were all acquired via ethical means. The church has had thousands of members, who all reside in an isolated location. Despite Jeff’s conviction, the church still exists and upholds his abhorrent practices.

Rodrigo Duterte

Between 2016 and 2022, Duterte was president of the Philippines. Pretty much as soon as he got the job, he initiated a horrifically inhumane war on drugs. Rather than rehabilitating offenders, he encouraged people to murder them without a fair trial. It’s unclear how many lost their lives, as it was too chaotic to truly tell. Officially, there were just over 6,000. Over estimates claim it could be double that, or even up to 30,000. Even children lost their lives in the fighting, which the government simply dismissed as “collateral damage”. Duterte even once compared himself to Hitler, proving just how warped his worldview is.

Peter Scully

The dark web can be an abominable place. This is due to people like Peter Scully, who use it to earn money from the most wretched schemes imaginable. The Australian’s first controversy was running a real estate fraud scheme, but he earned a spot on our list for selling the most despicable videos of children on the dark web. For his crimes, he faced 75 charges, and they even considered reintroducing the death penalty in the Philippines, solely for Scully. Now, he’s rotting in jail, but he and his sister claim his conditions are terrible. It’s hard to feel sorry for the guy, though, after the extreme suffering he’s caused.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Our next entry is one of the most powerful war criminals alive right now. He’s Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, who is currently committing genocide in Palestine. While Netanyahu will deny it, numerous experts and studies confirm that’s what’s happening. This has made him a war criminal in the eyes of the ICC, which has issued an arrest warrant for him. Alongside him are other criminals, such as Bezalel Smotrich, who illegally lives in the West Bank and frequently makes highly offensive remarks. Other controversies of Netanyahu’s regime include a 12-day war with Iran and an invasion of Syria.

Joseph Kony

Uganda may never forget the actions of the brutal warlord Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. While his influence has diminished severely over the years, he still hasn’t faced justice for his crimes. He’s arguably Africa’s most infamous warlord, who despicably uses child soldiers to fight his battles. At least 66,000 children became victims of his outrageous organisation. He eventually became famous in 2012, after a group called Invisible Children tried to get him arrested. This failed and became known as a form of slacktivism. Now, he has roughly 100 soldiers under his command and is supposedly hiding in Darfur, Sudan.

Vladimir Putin

Despite the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia is still ruled by a dictator in all but name. Putin has been pulling strings in the nation for over two decades. He rose to prominence as a KGB agent in the USSR, then moved into politics after its dissolution. Now, he rules with an iron fist, utilising extreme propaganda to get what he wants. This includes Ukraine, which he’s been trying to invade since 2022. This has, of course, sparked international outrage and calls for Putin’s arrest. Peace is something Putin won’t accept unless he gets an overwhelming amount of land from Ukraine, furthering global hatred for his authoritarian ways.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions.

Bashar al-Assad

The Only Good Thing About This Dictator Is That He’s Finally Been Ousted

Richard Sackler

This Pharmaceutical Salesman Is Central to Instigating America’s Opioid Crisis

David Miscavige

Scientology’s Current Leader Has Done Immense Damage to Countless People

Kim Jong Un

A strong case can be made for North Korea being the world’s worst country in which to be born. It’s been ruled by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un since 2011. Kim’s a disgusting person, to put it mildly. To maintain power, he holds public executions, maintains labor camps, and frequently starves his population. It’s virtually impossible to leave North Korea, and if you try, there’s a high chance you won’t survive the attempt. Kim’s regime is so brutal, they’ve executed teenagers for watching South Korean dramas. He’s even been sending Korean soldiers to Ukraine to help fight Putin’s outrageous war of aggression.

Are there any particularly nefarious humans we failed to mention? Let us know in the comments below!