The 100 Most Obsessed-Over People on the Web

 

Every April, TIME publishes a list of the 100 most influential people in the world, drawing on a year’s worth of headlines and the editorial judgment of editors from across the magazine. It’s an unapologetically subjective undertaking; there are no batting averages or on-base percentages when it comes to a slippery subject like influence.

I don’t have much to do with this list, but from the sidelines I got to wondering whether there was a quantitative way to produce something similar. Wikipedia was a logical place to start since it has both unprecedented breadth–there are over 600,000 living people on the site–and a remarkably consistent structure for each entry.

Based upon my research, here are the 100 most obsessed-over people on the web.

 

	NAME	SCORE
1.	George W. Bush 43rd President of the United States	65.6
2.	Barack Obama American politician, 44th President of the United States	45.3
3.	Madonna American singer, actress, author	37.63
4.	Beyoncé American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer	36.73
5.	Janet Jackson American singer-songwriter and actress	36.37
6.	Silvio Berlusconi Italian politician, entrepreneur, and media proprietor	35.53
7.	Bob Dylan American rock and folk musician	34.46
8.	Pope Benedict XVI 265th pope	34.02
9.	Mitt Romney American politician	33.87
10.	Bill Clinton 42nd President of the United States.	33.64
11.	Hillary Rodham Clinton U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, U.S. First Lady	33.34
12.	Christina Aguilera American singer and songwriter	33.13
13.	Mariah Carey American singer	32.6
14.	Eminem Hip Hop rapper	32.18
15.	Al Gore 45th Vice President of the United States	32.02
16.	Britney Spears American musician, singer, songwriter, actress, author	31.71
17.	Hulk Hogan American professional wrestler	31.64
18.	Roger Federer Swiss tennis professional	30.32
19.	Paul McCartney English rock musician	30.26
20.	Jimmy Carter President of the United States	29.8
21.	Cristiano Ronaldo Portuguese footballer	29.49
22.	David Beckham Professional footballer	29.21
23.	George H. W. Bush 41st president of the United States.	29.17
24.	Big Show Professional wrestler; actor	28.86
25.	John McCain U.S. Senator from Arizona; 2008 Republican Presidential nominee	28.8
26.	Shaquille O’Neal Professional basketball player	28.78
27.	Vladimir Putin 2nd President of the Russian Federation	28.74
28.	Fidel Castro President of Cuba	28.7
29.	John Kerry U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, 2004 presidential nominee for the Democratic Party	28.5
30.	Cher singer, actress, songwriter, author, entertainer	28.27
31.	Rafael Nadal Spanish tennis player	28.18
32.	Michael Jordan Professional National Basketball Association player and businessman	27.87
33.	Jeff Gordon American stock car racing driver	27.56
34.	John Cena Professional wrestler, an amateur hip hop musician and actor	27.4
35.	The Undertaker Professional wrestler	27.4
36.	Lady Gaga American pop singer	27.27
37.	Noam Chomsky linguist, psychologist, and activist	27.13
38.	Kane (wrestler) Professional wrestler and actor	27.03
39.	Edward Snowden System administrator	26.83
40.	Tony Blair Politician; Former Prime minister of the United Kingdom	26.75
41.	Steven Spielberg American film director and producer	26.75
42.	Lionel Messi Argentine footballer	26.72
43.	Serena Williams American multi-champion tennis player	26.68
44.	Kobe Bryant Professional basketball player	26.6
45.	Sarah Palin Governor of Alaska	26.46
46.	Clint Eastwood Actor, director, film producer, composer, politician	26.36
47.	Kurt Angle An American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist	26.16
48.	Carrie Underwood American country music singer; ”American Idol” winner	26.1
49.	Jean Chrétien 20th Prime Minister of Canada (1993 – 2003)	25.84
50.	Dwayne Johnson Professional wrestler, film actor	25.68
51.	Taylor Swift Singer and songwriter	25.59
52.	LeBron James American basketball player	25.53
53.	Arnold Schwarzenegger Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, politician	25.51
54.	Dick Cheney Vice President of the United States	25.5
55.	Yulia Tymoshenko Ukrainian politician	25.37
56.	CM Punk Professional wrestler	24.97
57.	Bret Hart Retired Professional Wrestler	24.84
58.	David Cameron Prime Minister of the United Kingdom	24.83
59.	Marine Le Pen French politician	24.72
60.	Eric Clapton guitarist, singer, and composer	24.66
61.	Novak Djokovic Serbian tennis player	24.55
62.	Joe Biden Vice President of the United States	24.3
63.	Jennifer Lopez Entertainer	24.29
64.	Peyton Manning American college football player, professional football player, quarterback, Super Bowl champion	24.19
65.	Nicole Scherzinger American singer, dancer	24.15
66.	Rihanna Singer, songwriter	24.13
67.	Shakira Colombian singer	24.03
68.	Sachin Tendulkar Indian cricketer	23.98
69.	Ron Paul U.S. libertarian, physician, politician, obstetrician	23.95
70.	Pope Francis 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church	23.94
71.	Chris Jericho Professional wrestler, musician, television host and author	23.93
72.	Maria Sharapova Russian tennis player	23.86
73.	Edge (wrestler) Professional wrestler	23.78
74.	Thierry Henry Footballer	23.43
75.	MC Hammer Rapper, entrepreneur, actor	23.34
76.	Kelly Clarkson Singer-songwriter, actress	23.32
77.	Michael Schumacher Racing driver, Formula 1 driver, 7 times world champion	23.25
78.	Yoko Ono Artist	23.11
79.	Donald Trump Businessman, television personality	23.02
80.	Elton John English musician	23.01
81.	Rey Mysterio Mexican American Professional wrestler	23
82.	Elizabeth II Queen regnant of the Commonwealth realms	22.99
83.	Rob Van Dam American film actor and professional wrestler	22.99
84.	Magic Johnson Retired American professional basketball player	22.95
85.	Pink (singer) Singer	22.92
86.	Triple H Professional wrestler	22.81
87.	Kylie Minogue pop singer, songwriter, actress	22.81
88.	Kanye West American recording artist, record producer	22.8
89.	Andy Murray Tennis player	22.78
90.	Celine Dion Canadian singer and actor	22.76
91.	50 Cent Rapper, entrepreneur, investor, and actor	22.74
92.	Derek Jeter American professional baseball player, shortstop	22.67
93.	Paris Hilton American celebrity	22.61
94.	Ric Flair Professional wrestler	22.56
95.	Oprah Winfrey Talk show host	22.53
96.	Michele Bachmann American politician	22.23
97.	Diego Maradona Argentine footballer and manager	22.19
98.	Nawaz Sharif Pakistani politician	22.08
99.	Shahrukh Khan Film actor	22.07
100.	Lance Armstrong American professional road racing cyclist	22.06

George W. Bush

43rd President of the United States

Barack Obama

American politician, 44th President of the United States

Madonna

American singer, actress, author

Beyoncé

American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer

Janet Jackson

American singer-songwriter and actress

Silvio Berlusconi

Italian politician, entrepreneur, and media proprietor

Bob Dylan

American rock and folk musician

Pope Benedict XVI

265th pope

Mitt Romney

American politician

Bill Clinton

42nd President of the United States.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, U.S. First Lady

Christina Aguilera

American singer and songwriter

Mariah Carey

American singer

Eminem

Hip Hop rapper

Al Gore

45th Vice President of the United States

Britney Spears

American musician, singer, songwriter, actress, author

Hulk Hogan

American professional wrestler

Roger Federer

Swiss tennis professional

Paul McCartney

English rock musician

Jimmy Carter

President of the United States

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese footballer

David Beckham

Professional footballer

George H. W. Bush

41st president of the United States.

Big Show

Professional wrestler; actor

John McCain

U.S. Senator from Arizona; 2008 Republican Presidential nominee

Shaquille O’Neal

Professional basketball player

Vladimir Putin

2nd President of the Russian Federation

Fidel Castro

President of Cuba

John Kerry

U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, 2004 presidential nominee for the Democratic Party

Cher

singer, actress, songwriter, author, entertainer

Rafael Nadal

Spanish tennis player

Michael Jordan

Professional National Basketball Association player and businessman

Jeff Gordon

American stock car racing driver

John Cena

Professional wrestler, an amateur hip hop musician and actor

The Undertaker

Professional wrestler

Lady Gaga

American pop singer

Noam Chomsky

linguist, psychologist, and activist

Kane (wrestler)

Professional wrestler and actor

Edward Snowden

System administrator

Tony Blair

Politician; Former Prime minister of the United Kingdom

Steven Spielberg

American film director and producer

Lionel Messi

Argentine footballer

Serena Williams

American multi-champion tennis player

Kobe Bryant

Professional basketball player

Sarah Palin

Governor of Alaska

Clint Eastwood

Actor, director, film producer, composer, politician

Kurt Angle

An American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist

Carrie Underwood

American country music singer; ”American Idol” winner

Jean Chrétien

20th Prime Minister of Canada (1993 – 2003)

Dwayne Johnson

Professional wrestler, film actor

Taylor Swift

Singer and songwriter

LeBron James

American basketball player

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, politician

Dick Cheney

Vice President of the United States

Yulia Tymoshenko

Ukrainian politician

CM Punk

Professional wrestler

Bret Hart

Retired Professional Wrestler

David Cameron

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Marine Le Pen

French politician

Eric Clapton

guitarist, singer, and composer

Novak Djokovic

Serbian tennis player

Joe Biden

Vice President of the United States

Jennifer Lopez

Entertainer

Peyton Manning

American college football player, professional football player, quarterback, Super Bowl champion

Nicole Scherzinger

American singer, dancer

Rihanna

Singer, songwriter

Shakira

Colombian singer

Sachin Tendulkar

Indian cricketer

Ron Paul

U.S. libertarian, physician, politician, obstetrician

Pope Francis

266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church

Chris Jericho

Professional wrestler, musician, television host and author

Maria Sharapova

Russian tennis player

Edge (wrestler)

Professional wrestler

Thierry Henry

Footballer

MC Hammer

Rapper, entrepreneur, actor

Kelly Clarkson

Singer-songwriter, actress

Michael Schumacher

Racing driver, Formula 1 driver, 7 times world champion

Yoko Ono

Artist

Donald Trump

Businessman, television personality

Elton John

English musician

Rey Mysterio

Mexican American Professional wrestler

Elizabeth II

Queen regnant of the Commonwealth realms

Rob Van Dam

American film actor and professional wrestler

Magic Johnson

Retired American professional basketball player

Pink (singer)

Singer

Triple H

Professional wrestler

Kylie Minogue

pop singer, songwriter, actress

Kanye West

American recording artist, record producer

Andy Murray

Tennis player

Celine Dion

Canadian singer and actor

50 Cent

Rapper, entrepreneur, investor, and actor

Derek Jeter

American professional baseball player, shortstop

Paris Hilton

American celebrity

Ric Flair

Professional wrestler

Oprah Winfrey

Talk show host

Michele Bachmann

American politician

Diego Maradona

Argentine footballer and manager

Nawaz Sharif

Pakistani politician

Shahrukh Khan

Film actor

Lance Armstrong

American professional road racing cyclist

 

Methodology

To begin with, I collected some data on each of these pages: The number of words, the number of times it has been edited, and a handful of other measurements. A very simple algorithm combines these factors into a single estimate of the page’s “prominence,” an imperfect term for how important a person is on the site.

I gathered eight statistics for each living person’s Wikipedia page:

• Number of words
• Number of links to other Wikipedia pages
• Number of external links (which are typically references)
• Number of categories the person is in
• Total number of revisions to the page
• Number of unique individuals who have edited the page as a signed-in editors
• Number of anonymous edits
• Number of vandalisms, as identified in editing notes

Once this data was in place, I used a statistical method known as “principal component analysis” to reduce these values into a smaller set of scores. The full methodology, as well as the raw data for the top 100,000-or-so pages, is available on the GitHub page for this project. The code for crawling Wikipedia is also provided open-source in a separate GitHub repository.

One of the most curious findings is that professional wrestlers have amazingly detailed Wikipedia pages that often surpass heads of state in their breadth and detail. There are 15 current or former wrestlers in the top 100 people on this list.

Many thanks to Chris Franck, an assistant research professor in statistics at Virginia Tech, for his consultation during this analysis.

 

Write to Chris Wilson at chris.wilson@time.com.