Celebrities
Bethan McKernan
May 26, 2015
I’ve got a blank space, baby, and I’ll write your name...
In case you somehow didn’t know, Taylor Swift is taking over the world - and now even Forbes has recognised that with a debut entry on the magazine’s annual list of the world’s most powerful women.
With 58million Twitter followers and estimated earnings of £41 million last year, TayTay’s phenomenal rise to superstardom was cemented last year when her album 1989 sold more than 3.5million copies, making her one of only three artists to go platinum in 2014.
She was ranked 65 out of 100 and the second most powerful woman in music after undisputed queen Beyoncé Knowles.
German chancellor Angela Merkel remained in first place for the fifth year running, and Hillary Clinton came in second - up from her spot at number six in 2014.
There are 19 new entries to 2015’s list, including many firsts, such as Loretta Lynch, the first African-American woman to be US attorney general, Janet Yellen, the first female chair of the Federal Reserve, and Folorunsho Alakija, the first self-made African billionaire. More female entrepreneurs and women working in tech made the list than ever before.
Notable dropouts include Aung San Suu Kyi and Lady Gaga, both of whom failed to make the cut this year.
Below are Forbes's top ten most powerful women. See the full list here.
1. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
2. Hillary Clinton, US Presidential candidate
3. Melinda Gates, Cochairwoman, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
4. Janet Yellen, Chairwoman, US Federal Reserve Bank
5. Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors
6. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
7. Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil
8. Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook
9. Susan Wojcicki, CEO of Youtube
10. Michelle Obama, US First Lady
More: This is what politics looks like when women are in charge
More: Why it's so important to get more women into the workplace
Top 100
The Conversation (0)