Oprah, Beyoncé And Serena Williams Make Forbes List Of World’s 100 Most Powerful Women

Published by Kunbi Tinuoye at December 5, 2018

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It’s that time of year again. Forbes has just released its 2018 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women on the planet across all spheres, including tech, politics, business, and philanthropy.

Unsurprising, Oprah Winfrey holds down the crown as the most powerful woman in ‘Media and Entertainment.’ The magazine cites Oprah’s burgeoning media, entertainment, and business empire bringing her estimated net worth to $2.7 billion. Oprah comes in at No. 20 on the overall list.

Beyoncé is ranked No.50. Queen Bey’s On The Run II stadium tour with Jay-Z grossed roughly $5 million per night, pulling in a whopping $250 million. In November, the talented entertainer snagged the No. 3 spot on Forbes’ highest paid female musicians list, pulling in $60 million in 2018.

“I’ve seen plenty of powerful women squander a chance at power simply because they waited for someone else to give them permission to have power. There is no permission slip — you just have to BE powerful.”

Bey also leveraged her influence when she featured on the cover of Vogue. She was given unprecedented creative control over the photos and accompanying article. Beyoncé hired the first African-American photographer to shoot a cover in the magazine’s history.

Shonda Rhimes has made the cut at No. 74. Rhimes is the creator and executive producer of ABC hits like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, all created by Rhimes’ company Shondaland. Before her trailblazing Netflix deal, the television producer signed a four-year deal with ABC a $10 million per year.

“I’ve seen plenty of powerful women squander a chance at power simply because they waited for someone else to give them permission to have power,” says Rhimes. There is no permission slip — you just have to BE powerful.”

Serena Williams makes the list for the first time ever at a respectable No. 79. Forbes highlights her record-breaking career, 23 Grand Slam singles trophies, and $18.1 million earnings in 2017 as factors that all led to the honor.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is ranked at No. 1 on the list. Merkel has remained at the top spot since 2006, with the brief exception of 2010 where she was temporarily supplanted by the then U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. U.K Prime Minister Theresa May comes in at No.2. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, is third on the list.

This year, the 15th annual list welcomes 20 newcomers. The list is edited by notable Forbes journalists, including Moira Forbes, and is based on visibility and economic impact.

You can view the full list here.

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Kunbi Tinuoye

Kunbi Tinuoye is the founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz. Previously, she worked as a News Correspondent for NBC’s theGrio. Prior, she was a senior broadcast journalist for the BBC in London. Tinuoye currently sits on the SXSW Pitch Advisory Board and CES Conference Advisory Board. She is a key player in the Atlanta tech startup ecosystem and serves as a mentor for Comcast NBCUniversal’s The Farm Accelerator. Tinuoye has received several awards and accolades, including being honored with a Resolution from the Georgia Legislative.