More traditional media moguls, too, make the list: Rupert Murdoch is #4, Les Moonves is #64. That sounds about right. What's glaring, however, is the absence of Rush Limbaugh. And where's anyone from Fox News--starting with Roger Ailes, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly? Oh wait, this isn't a list of influentials, it's a list of those whom liberal nitwits like.
One thing that is interesting, however, is the importance of technology. The Cable Gamer believes that "content is king," but for the time being at least, new technological delivery venues are reshaping content-delivery so rapidly that the technology deliverers justifiable loom large on the list.
So TCG doesn't disagree that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is #1 (and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg is also rightfully on the list, at #37.) Right after Zuckerberg is Steve Jobs, and right after Jobs, sharing the #3 slot, are the Google Amigos--Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt. Fourth, as noted, is Murdoch, a true media mogul, followed by Jeff Bezos of Amazon at #5. Next is Bernard Arnault of the French luxury conglomerate LVMH--don't ask TCG why he's on the list. Michael Bloomberg is #7; he counts as sort of a hybrid--Bloomberg TV is kind of a dud, but Bloomberg media is huge.
More technology types fill out the top ten: Larry Ellison of Oracle is #8, while Evan Williams and Biz Stone of Twitter share #9. And #10 is John Malone, who always makes these lists.
So VF gets some kudos for being alert to the power of technological change, even if that makes the inclusion of liberal dinosaurs such as Rich and Rose--and the exclusion of Fox News--all the more glaring.
