Forbes has released its 2025 list of the world’s most powerful women, highlighting leaders shaping politics, technology, finance, and culture. Notable names include Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, media mogul Mo Abudu, and global stars Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
“Power concentrates where the world is being rebuilt,” Forbes says. “This year’s list captures women directing capital, managing supply chains, and stabilizing institutions under historic pressure.”
In technology, Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, controls key semiconductor capacity, while executives like Ruth Porat at Alphabet, Colette Kress at Nvidia, Susan Li at Meta, and Amy Hood at Microsoft oversee more than $8 trillion in market value. Daniela Amodei of Anthropic became a self-made billionaire this year.
Political leaders include Ursula von der Leyen and Christine Lagarde in Europe, Sanae Takaichi in Japan, and Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico, guiding economic and strategic stability in critical regions.
In finance and industry, Jane Fraser at Citi, Tarciana Medeiros at Banco do Brasil, and Tan Su Shan at DBS direct global capital flows. Gwynne Shotwell at SpaceX ensures defense and connectivity systems run smoothly. Cultural leaders like Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Mo Abudu, and the women behind Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters show how influence translates to economic power.
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Forbes notes that while women wield global influence, the highest leadership positions remain limited. “Whether the world moves toward genuine shared leadership or continues to rely on women to stabilize institutions they do not fully command will shape the next chapter of power,” the report says.
The 2025 Forbes Power Women List (Numbered Names)
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Ursula von der Leyen
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Christine Lagarde
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Sanae Takaichi
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Giorgia Meloni
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Claudia Sheinbaum
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Julie Sweet
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Mary Barra
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Jane Fraser
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Abigail Johnson
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Lisa Su
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MacKenzie Scott
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Ruth Porat
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Melinda French Gates
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Gail Boudreaux
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Ana Patricia Botín
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Amy Hood
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Kristalina Georgieva
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Tarciana Paula Gomes Medeiros
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Catherine MacGregor
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Gwynne Shotwell
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Taylor Swift
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Laurene Powell Jobs
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Gunjan Kedia
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Nirmala Sitharaman
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Kathryn McLay
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Carol Tomé
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Phebe Novakovic
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Marianne Lake
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Tan Su Shan
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Oprah Winfrey
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Sarah London
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Sandy Ran Xu
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Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
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Ho Ching
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Dana Walden
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Thasunda Brown Duckett
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Colette Kress
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Kathy Warden
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Rachel Reeves
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Mary Callahan Erdoes
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Susan Li
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Estelle Brachlianoff
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Jennifer Piepszak
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Janet Truncale
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Adena Friedman
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Lynn Martin
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Julie Gao
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Amanda Blanc
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Margherita Della Valle
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Sarah Friar
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Wang Laichun
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Gina Rinehart
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Michele Bullock
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Judy Faulkner
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Yie-Hsin Hung
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Tricia Griffith
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Donna Langley
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Shemara Wikramanayake
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Vicki Hollub
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Bela Bajaria
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Bonnie Chan
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Suzanne Scott
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Jenny Johnson
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Jayshree Ullal
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Hana Al Rostamani
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Susie Wiles
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Sinead Gorman
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Joey Wat
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Melanie Kreis
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Claudine Adamo
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Kim Kardashian
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Paula Santilli
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Daniela Amodei
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Mary Vilakazi
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Malina Ngai
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Roshni Nadar Malhotra
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Belén Garijo
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Judith Suminwa Tuluka
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Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
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Bari Weiss
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Inga Ruginiene
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Robyn Grew
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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
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Mette Frederiksen
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Anna Borg
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Blanca Treviño
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Solina Chau
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Mary Meeker
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Mpumi Madisa
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Lee Boo-jin
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Choi Soo-yeon
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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
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Melanie Perkins
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Dominique Senequier
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Raja Easa Al Gurg
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Jenny Lee
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Kirsten Green
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Mo Abudu
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Mia Mottley
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The Women of KPop Demon Hunters