Home / Technology / Altman Tops Power List, Surpassing Musk
Altman Tops Power List, Surpassing Musk
5 Oct
Summary
- Sam Altman ranked first in US influence and power.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Elon Musk followed.
- Ranking assesses 'real power,' not wealth or followers.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has ascended to the top position in the United States' most influential and powerful individuals, according to Vanity Fair's "The New Establishment 2026" list released on October 5, 2026. Altman's prominent placement highlights the growing impact of artificial intelligence on global influence.
He leads a group of tech leaders, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Elon Musk, owner of SpaceXAI, securing the second and third spots respectively. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang followed at fourth. The publication noted that Altman's influence, particularly stemming from the success of ChatGPT, positions him as a pivotal figure comparable to historical figures of great consequence.
The ranking specifically measures "real power," deliberately excluding factors like personal wealth or social media following. This focus underscores the shifting landscape of influence, emphasizing technological innovation and its societal impact. Other notable figures in the top ten include Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh and tech executives Sundar Pichai of Alphabet/Google, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, and Neal Mohan of YouTube.
