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1. Ben Bernanke: This Chairman of the FED can affect Wall Street by opening his mouth in front of a reporter. He just has to mention raising interest rates, and the stock market goes down, while bonds gain value. Those who have 401K plans, want to take out mortgages, and/or invest their money in financial instruments need to take the Bernanke factor into account. So should anyone who owns a credit card. Who do Bernanke's actions not affect? Until his four-year term ends, Bernanke may be the most influential man in America.

2. Al Gore: While we may think of this man as a historical figure, we need to remember that he is still stirring controversy. This former Vice President of the United States and 2000 Democratic nominee for president has taken on a new cause, stopping global warming. His documentary about what he refers to as the "climate crisis," An Inconvenient Truth, won the 2007 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. What most people are not aware of is that Gore started Generation Investment Management, an investment management firm that invests in companies serving the public good when it comes to major issues, such as global warming. And who knew that INdTV Holdings-a company Gore co-founded-owns Current TV, which is a television network that is supposed to be unbiased? What will Gore think of next?

3. Bill Gates: The richest man in the world has not wasted his talents. He spent the greater part of his life building up Microsoft into the company it is today. Imagine what the personal computer would be like without Windows. Would so many people be able to afford personal computers? Ever since retiring from Microsoft, Gates has undertaken a new mission, using the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to change the world. Through this foundation, Gates has given away billions of dollars to help the less fortunate-particularly to provide college scholarships and fight disease. Warren Buffett, the second richest man in the world, promised to donate the bulk of his fortune to the foundation. Will other rich men follow Gates' example? Will the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation prove to be this man's true legacy?

4. Oprah Winfrey: Most people just think of this woman as the talk show host of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Media mogul seems a more apt description for the richest African American of the twentieth century. Oprah publishes O, The Oprah Magazine and O at Home. She even has a channel, Oprah & Friends, on XM Satellite Radio. A woman of many talents, Oprah received an Academy Award nomination for playing Sofia in The Color Purple. But she gives back to society, too, with Oprah's Angel Network-all its donations are spent on charitable causes because she pays for all administrative expenses out of her own pocket. Oprah's Angel Network has helped many children in South Africa, and it will continue to do so with the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. What a philanthropist! This lady also affected America's reading habits with Oprah's Book Club. Some people see Oprah as a spiritual icon. How is that for influence?

5. Steven Spielberg: This man has directed and/or produced some of the most popular movies of the past few decades. Remember Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, The Color Purple, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Catch Me if You Can, Munich, and Letters from Iwo Jima. He is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. Spielberg not only entertains, but shapes public opinion. How many Americans have never seen any of his movies?

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