Top 10 Most Powerful People You've Never Heard Of

#10: Fahad Maziad Al Rajaan[a]

He was a banker from Kuwait, a tiny nation on the northern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. In the finance industry, Al Rajaan was a major player, holding various senior roles like director of the Ahli United Bank. His investment decisions had a massive influence on global economics. Despite this power, he had a relatively low public profile. Eventually, he had his assets frozen due to corruption. As a result, he and his family fled abroad, until eventually being arrested in London in 2017. By 2019, he and his wife were given life sentences, then he died only three years later in London.

#9: Alisher Usmanov[b]

His net worth is over $16 billion, making him one of the planets richest people. After the Soviet Union fell, Usmanov earned immense riches, becoming one of Russias most prominent oligarchs. He owns 49% of Metalloinvest, a Russian mining company that makes tons of steel. Other properties of his include Kommersant Publishing House, Udokan Copper, and one of Russias largest cell phone operators, MegaFon. Hes suspected of having strong ties to the Kremlin, so when the war with Ukraine broke out, the EU responded by freezing all his assets, plus banning him from European travel. The US had a similar reaction, which shows just how powerful he is.

#8: Kaushik Basu[c]

Between 2012 and 2016, Indian economist Basu was the World Banks chief economist. In this role, he would have been a key figure guiding global economic policies. Hes had an immensely successful career as an economist, even working as Indias Chief Economic Advisor in 2009. Although hes barely known outside of academic and economic circles, hes regarded as one of his generations leading economists. Hes written numerous books and papers, providing deep insight into economic development and policies. Basus influence even goes into mathematics, with him publishing a paper on a brand new proof for the Pythagorean theorem.

#7: Alexey Miller[d]

You might never have heard of Gazprom. Based in St. Petersburg, its a multinational corporation and the largest state-owned company in Russia. They have their fingers in every element of the gas industry. Plus, they also have about 2 billion tons of oil in reserves, meaning overall theyre the biggest public energy supplier in the world. Their CEO is Alexey Miller, and if you havent guessed by now, hes a ridiculously powerful individual. Hes had this role since the early 2000s, meaning hes wielded influence over multiple continents for more than two decades. Despite this, hes quite a niche name, only well-known among specific circles.

#6: Ali Al-Naimi[e]

Also known as the King of Oil, there are no prizes for guessing what this Saudi Arabian politician was in charge of. Between 1995 and 2016, he was their Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. For those unaware, Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds largest suppliers of oil, with Al-Naimi being one of their longest-serving energy ministers. During his 21 years in the role, he was a central figure in the global oil industry, one of Earths largest industries. Al-Naimi was known for balancing stable oil prices with protecting Saudi Arabias interests, with every one of his business decisions causing ripples in the global economy.

#5: Lei Jun[f]

Hes the first Chinese billionaire to make it onto our list but he wont be the last. With a net worth of over $44 billion, he was the 36th richest person globally in 2025. What does he do thats made him so rich? He owns Xiaomi Corporation, the third largest smartphone manufacturing company on the planet, also called the Apple of China. So as you can expect, hes one of the leading figures in the tech industry. As a child, his father made only $7 monthly, but he encouraged him to pursue his passion for electronics. Thankfully for him, it turned into an extremely lucrative path to go down.

#4: Vladimir Yakunin[g]

One of Putins closest confidants is businessman Yakunin. For 10 years, he was in charge of Russian Railways, which is close to having a monopoly on the nations long-distance rail services. Even though he doesnt hold this role anymore, being part of Putins inner circle allows him to wield significant power. The two even served in the KGB at the same time, way back before the Soviet Union collapsed. Yakunin is so powerful that the 2014 Ukraine crisis caused the US and a plethora of other nations to sanction him, banning him from travel along with freezing all his assets. Both Australia and the UK have since followed suit.

#3: Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud[h]

Weve already discussed one of the longest-serving Saudi energy ministers now for the current one. Al Saud is one of King Salman's sons, making him a Saudi royal by birthright, as well as the grandson of Ibn Saud Saudi Arabias founding father. So he has immense influence over global oil markets, making regular decisions that influence the entire global economy. Oil prices affect everything, and since Saudi Arabia is the number one oil exporter, he has more power over economic stability than most heads of state. Regardless of this fact, hes much less well-known than the vast majority of state leaders.

#2: Lee Jae-yong[i] [aka Jay Y. Lee]

Everybody knows Samsung Electronics theyve been a household name for years now. They were first founded in South Korea in 1969, and have since become the second largest phone manufacturer globally. While the company is well-known, its CEO, Lee Jae-yong, is not, but by the end of 2024, he was the wealthiest person in South Korea. Samsungs parent company accounts for approximately 20% of South Koreas GDP. That means that when Lee was jailed for corruption, they eventually had to pardon him because he was so important to the country. His ability to survive such a scandal, then return to power and keep expanding Samsung, is a testament to his influence.

#1: Ding Xuedong[j]

This Chinese politician is believed to have roughly $800 billion in assets. This means few individuals have controlled more financial power than he has. For four years, he was Chairman and CEO of China Investment Corporation, managing Chinas sovereign wealth fund. Its one of the worlds largest investment funds and has capital in almost every industry. Now, he is the Communist Party Secretary as well as Vice Chair of the National Council for Social Security Fund, making him even more powerful than before. His influence hasnt just been to gain personal wealth. Hes been shaping Chinas rise as an economic superpower.

Which of these lesser-known powerful figures do you think is the most interesting? Let us know in the comments below.

[a]fuh-HEAD https://forvo.com/search/%D9%81%D9%87%D8%AF/

muh-ZEED https://forvo.com/search/%D9%85%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AF/
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ah-h'lee / aw-lee https://youtu.be/BLxUTtL3qcc?si=f6ZQwvNg4skXzSN-&t=73 https://translate.google.ca/?sl=ar&tl=en&text=%D8%A3%D9%87%D9%84%D9%8A&op=translate
[b]al-liss-SHARE oose-MAW-nov https://translate.google.ca/?sl=ru&tl=en&text=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%88%D0%B5%D1%80%20%D0%A3%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%0A&op=translate https://youtu.be/KGCo6PYJ1LY?si=o1nN62DnU1XG2KtJ&t=12
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megaphone https://forvo.com/search/%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%BE%D0%BD/ru/
[c]COW_shick baw-SOO https://youtu.be/j3mYAmjv3GU?si=rs8jnFJd2m7jEaTh&t=22
[d]ah-leck-SAY miller https://forvo.com/search/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B9%20%D0%9C%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80/
gas-prom https://youtu.be/akihe-AtpW8?si=w2yR7J31hVZx8K47&t=61 https://forvo.com/search/%D0%93%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC/
[e]nye-EE-mee / nye-mee https://youtu.be/hh7HtJnioFw?si=l_HwFV3TS3RYuTqd&t=27
[f]lay jeun https://youtu.be/EPY03-JhTxw?si=tAl5gxFwihyIklCe&t=4 https://translate.google.ca/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%E9%9B%B7%E5%86%9B%0A&op=translate
shao me / shiao https://translate.google.ca/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%E5%B0%8F%E7%B1%B3&op=translate
[g]vlad-DEE-meer yah-KOO-nin https://forvo.com/search/%D0%AF%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BD/
[h]AWB-dool-aw-ZEEZ bin sell-MEN ell sah-OOOD
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[i]lee JAY-yung https://translate.google.ca/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%EC%9D%B4%EC%9E%AC%EC%9A%A9%0A&op=translate
[j]ding sheux-eh-DOANG https://translate.google.ca/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%E4%B8%81%E5%AD%A6%E4%B8%9C%0A&op=translate https://youtu.be/9L0_JWFWpHE?si=1n_hz88SlTlo6Ggc&t=33