Michelle Obama has placed in the number 10 spot on the Forbes list of 25 Most Powerful Women in the World, the highest position for a Black woman on the list. The list, which includes women in politics, media, entertainment and more, is assessed based on financial resources, media mentions around the global and “sphere of influence,” which includes pop culture sway, philanthropy and other areas of influence.
“The concept of power can be nebulous — especially when it comes to gender,” the magazine writes, noting that as of January 2015, there were only 10 women serving as heads of state, 23 female CEOs at the S&P 500 companies and 197 women on the list of international billionaires.
“But there’s hardly a void of powerful women – and the numbers are growing. That is, if we enlarge our focus from just who owns the greatest wealth or the heaviest corporate hammer to include the women whose influence and impact may be greater than the sum of their title,” Forbes continues.
But in terms of cold-hard cash, Oprah comes in first, the top–ranking billionaire on the list at number 12. And Beyonce comes in at number 21.
The top three women on the list are, in order, German Chancellor Angela Merkel; former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; and Melinda Gates, the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
