Beyoncé and Rihanna also appear in the ranking of the most influential women.
The US business magazine “Forbes” has been identifying the most powerful women in the world every year since 2004. In 2022, Taylor Swift was ranked 79th. By claiming fifth place this year, Swift now overtakes Rihanna and Beyoncé. At 33, the pop and country singer is also the youngest woman on this year’s list and also the highest-ranked musician overall on the list.
For an overview: In first place is the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. She will be followed by the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. In the ranking, Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris comes in third place and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni comes in fourth place.
The “Taylor Swift Effect”
The reason for Swift’s high ranking is, among other things, her recently acquired status as a billionaire. Forbes estimates her current net worth at $1.1 billion, of which $500 million comes from royalties and tours, $500 million comes from her music catalog, and about $125 million comes from real estate. The re-recordings of her albums (“Taylor’s Version”) and the ticket sales of her “Eras” tour also had an influence on her fifth place. Forbes also noted that the 33-year-old pop star is the first female musician to “make the ranking based solely on her songs and performances.”
In general, however, one can speak of a “Taylor Swift effect” for the economy. For example, two nights of her tour in Denver contributed $140 million to Colorado’s gross domestic product. Fans spent an average of $1,300 per person on hotels, restaurants and shopping. The US Travel Association estimates that the US leg of the Eras tour brought a total of more than $5 billion into the US state economy.
This is how the ranking is made up
How do you find out which women are the most powerful in the world? According to Forbes, this can be determined based on four main categories: “Money, media, influence and spheres of influence,” the medium initially says. And further: “For the political decision-makers, we took the gross domestic product and the population into account; for the company bosses, revenue, ratings and the number of employees were decisive. Media mentions and social reach were analyzed for each. The result: 100 women who help shape the politics, the products and the political struggles that determine our world.” The ranking includes female politicians, entrepreneurs, activists and even artists.
By listing the most powerful women in the world, Forbes achieves better representation and greater recognition of the most influential women. In order to compile the list, thorough research and data analysis is carried out.
Beyoncé and Rihanna also made the Forbes list
Beyoncé is at number 36 on the Forbes list, moving up 44 places from last year (number 80). The 42-year-old won a historic Grammy in February – making her the most awarded female artist in history. Coupled with the success of her “Renaissance” tour, this earned her the spot in the ranking, according to Forbes.
Rihanna has made it to the 74th most powerful woman. Forbes highlights the 35-year-old singer’s lucrative ventures Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty, as well as her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.