In April 2025, New York (the United States of America, USA)-based TIME, the 102-year-old global media brand has revealed the 22nd edition of annual “TIME 100 Most Influential People 2025” in the world. This latest edition of the list has covered global figures from a wide range of fields like: politics, entertainment, science, and business, each recognised for their significant impact and contributions in their respective fields over the last one year.
- This year no Indian names have been featured on the list.
- However, Indian origin Reshma Kewalramani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Boston, Massachusetts (USA)-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals Limited featured on the list in the ‘Leaders’ category.
About the List:
i.The List was compiled by the American TIME magazine, recognizes the impact, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.
ii.The list was 1st published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, politicians, and journalists.
iii.The List has been divided into 6 different categories: Leaders, Icons, Artists, Innovators, Pioneers and Titans.
Prominent Figures Featured on the List:
i.Some of the prominent world leaders featured on this year’s list: Donald Trump, President of the USA, Keir Starmer, Prime Minister (PM) of United Kingdom (UK),
- Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General (DG) of World Health Organisation (WHO), among others.
ii.This year’s list was released with 5 international covers, each featuring a standout personality: Acclaimed American Actor Demi Moore (Icons category), former American tennis player and 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist Serena Jameka Williams (Titans), American rapper Snoop Dogg (Innovator), famous British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran (Artists) and Demis Hassabis CEO of the United Kingdom (UK)-based Google DeepMind (Pioneers).
iii.Some of the notable figures featured in ‘Titans’ category: Famous American Actress Blake Lively, American Olympic gymnast Simon Biles, Ted Sarandos, CEO of Netflix, Lisa Tzwu-Fang Su, CEO and Chair of USA-based semiconductor design company Advanced Micro Devices Inc.(AMD), among others.
iv.Some of the notable figures featured in ‘Pioneers’ category: South Korean Pop-Singer Rosé from BLACKPINK, British singer and song writer Myles Michael Smith-Thompson, Liang Wenfeng, among others.
v.Some of the notable figures featured in ‘Innovators’ category: British marine biologist Richard Thompson who 1st coined the term ‘microplastics’, Laurence Douglas Fink, co-founder and CEO of American multinational investment company BlackRock, Argentine ecologist Sandra Myrna Diaz, among others.
vi.Some of the notable figures featured in ‘Icons’ category: Gisele Pelicot, a French feminist who survived nearly a decade of sexual assault, Zimbabwean feminist Angeline Murimirwa, CEO of Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) in Africa, among others.
vii.Some of the notable figures featured in ‘Artists’ category: Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson, American actress, singer and producer Kristan Anne Bell, American actress and filmmaker Rashisda Jones, among others.
viii.Women on this year’s list include: Simone Biles, Scarlett Johansson, Serena Williams, Kristen Bell, Rashida Jones, Blake Lively, Nikki Glaser, Bobbi Brown, Sandra Díaz, Wendy Freedman, Ismahane Elouafi, Fatou Baldeh, Julie Burkhart, Noa Argamani, Bonnie Y Chan, Lisa Su, and others.
ix.The 2025 TIME100 list features several new figures in global politics: USA Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr, Argentina’s outspoken President Javier Milei, and Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the movement that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Key Highlights:
i.22 years-old Olympic swimmer Leon Marchand (France), is the youngest person on this year’s list in ‘Icons’ category.
- While, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus (84 years old), Chief Advisor of Bangladesh is the oldest person featured on the list in ‘Leaders’ category.
ii.USA President Donald Trump appeared on the list for the 7th time, which is more than any person on 2025 list, followed by Elon Musk (6), Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly known as Facebook), Serena Williams (3), among others.
iii.This latest edition of TIME’s most influential people in the world has featured total 6 athletes including American professional football quarterback Jalen Alexander Hurts in Icons category, American women basketball players Breanna Stewart and Naphessa Collier, both featured in ‘pioneers’ category.
iv.The 2025 rankings underscore the enduring influence of entertainment and pop culture, with over a dozen acclaimed artists securing positions in this lists.
About TIME Magazine:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Jessica Sibley
Headquarters- New York, the United States of America (USA)
Founded– 1923
