1. Rupert Murdoch, billionaire global media baron financed by the Rothschild, Bronfman and Oppenheimer empires.

2. Steve Jobs, chief executive officer of the Apple computer conglomerate.

3. Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founders of Google, the Internet giant.

4. Stephen Schwarzman and Pete Peterson, founders of the Blackstone Group, a financial investment giant, representing shadowy cliques of plutocratic predators.

5. Warren Buffett, a longtime U.S. satellite of the European Rothschild family and one of the owners of the Washington Post publishing group.

6. Bill Clinton, former president of the United States.

7. Steven Spielberg, Hollywood producer and director, perhaps the most powerful man in the movie industry.

8. Bernard Arnault, French industrialist whose growing empire produces such luxury label items as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Dom Perignon, among others.

9. Michael Bloomberg, billionaire New York mayor and possible presidential candidate who made his fortune in the financial news information industry.

10. Bill and Melinda Gates, the husband-and-wife team who are the rulers of the Microsoft computer colossas.

11. Carlos Slim Hel煤, Fortune magazine says this Mexican billionaire of Lebanese descent is the world鈥檚 richest man, controlling 200 companies that account for 7% of Mexico鈥檚 gross domestic product.

12. H. Lee Scott, president and chief executive of Wal-Mart.