--- title: Which World Figures Should Be on the 2014 TIME 100? description: While TIME’s editors will choose the TIME 100 — our annual list of the most influential people in the world — we want readers to... canonical: https://time.com/55769/time-100-2014-poll-world/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-04-10T23:46:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-07-21T07:15:15.986Z article:section: World og:title: Vote: Which World Figures Should Be on the 2014 TIME 100? og:description: Cast your vote for the leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes who you think are the most influential people in the world og:url: https://time.com/55769/time-100-2014-poll-world/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Vote: Which World Figures Should Be on the 2014 TIME 100? twitter:description: Cast your vote for the leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes who you think are the most influential people in the world twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Which World Figures Should Be on the 2014 TIME 100? by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Apr 10, 2014 11:46 PM CUT by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Apr 10, 2014 11:46 PM CUT While TIME’s editors will choose the TIME 100 — our annual list of the most influential people in the world — we want readers to have a say too. Cast your vote here for the people who you think have changed the world this past year, for better or worse. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on April 22, and the winner of our reader poll will be announced April 23\. This year’s official TIME 100 list will be announced April 24. Click [here](http://time.com/56140/time-100-2014-poll/ "undefined") to vote in other categories: [U.S. Politics](http://time.com/pollus "undefined"), [Business & Tech](http://time.com/pollbiz "undefined"), [Culture & Fashion](http://time.com/pollculture "undefined"), [Movies & TV](http://time.com/pollmovies "undefined"), [Music](http://time.com/pollmusic "undefined"), [Media](http://time.com/pollmedia "undefined") and [Sports](http://time.com/pollsports "undefined"). See the poll results in real time [here](http://time.com/56140/time-100-2014-poll/ "undefined"). ### Abdullah Gul [](undefined "undefined") Widely seen as the alternative to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey’s ruling party, Gul has walked a fine line between party loyalty and counterbalancing Erdogan’s authoritarian streak. ### Shinzo Abe [](undefined "undefined") Abe’s unorthodox approach to fixing Japan’s postbubble economy, dubbed Abenomics, seems to be paying off, with the Nikkei up nearly 57% at the end of 2013. ### Sheikha al-Mayassa [](undefined "undefined") Al-Mayassa oversees Qatar’s Museum Authority, which in 2012 acquired a $250 million Cézanne, the priciest purchase of a painting to date. ### Arvind Kejriwal [](undefined "undefined") As leader of India’s Aam Aadmi Party, Kejriwal managed to turn a grassroots anticorruption movement into a political force that took New Delhi by surprise last year, defeating the major parties in local elections. ### Bashar Assad [](undefined "undefined") As Syria’s civil war pushes into its fourth year, President Assad remains firm in waging war on his own people, with no signs of the humanitarian crisis abating. ### Aliko Dangote [](undefined "undefined") This Nigerian cement mogul is not only Africa¹s richest man but also its most generous, especially after announcing a $1.2 billion donation to his own foundation in early 2014. ### Abu Dua [](undefined "undefined") This elusive figure has transformed Iraq’s branch of al-Qaeda into ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria), a fearsome terrorist group that stretches across the Levant. ### Abdul Fattah al-Sisi [](undefined "undefined") As one of the men who helped bring down former President Mohamed Morsi, this military commander and devout Muslim is now a popular candidate for Egypt’s presidency. ### Pope Francis [](undefined "undefined") The new Pontiff’s dedication to helping those in need, paired with his frank speech, has only bolstered his reputation as a champion of the people. ### Bill Gates [](undefined "undefined") The technology pioneer — who reclaimed his title as world’s richest person in 2013 — spends most of his time working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on projects like eradicating polio but recently came back to Microsoft as an adviser to new CEO Satya Nadella. ### Xi Jinping [](undefined "undefined") China’s newly elected President seems poised to lead his country into a new era by focusing on economic overhaul, cybersecurity and a strong military presence. ### Kim Jong Un [](undefined "undefined") The North Korean dictator’s continued aggression toward South Korea and threats of a nuclear weapon make him a constant concern for world leaders. ### Christine Lagarde [](undefined "undefined") The first woman to head the International Monetary Fund is looking for ways to address income inequality across the globe. ### Marine Le Pen [](undefined "undefined") As president of the French far-right National Front, Le Pen recently led her party to victory in local elections around the country. ### Angela Merkel [](undefined "undefined") Germany’s Chancellor is a key player in the ongoing international negotiations over Russia’s annexation of Crimea. ### Narendra Modi [](undefined "undefined") The Bharatiya Janata Party leader known for his no-nonsense approach is likely to become India’s next Prime Minister. ### José Mujica [](undefined "undefined") Uruguay’s President is known for his commitment to austerity measures, ditching the state palace for a farmhouse. He made headlines at the end of 2013 when the country became the first to fully legalize marijuana. ### Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina [](undefined "undefined") The two former feminist punk rockers were freed from a Russian prison at the end of last year after serving time for political activism against Vladimir Putin. ### Vladimir Putin [](undefined "undefined") Russia’s President came under fire for the country’s military invasion of the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine, after a surprisingly smooth Sochi Winter Olympics. ### Rahul Gandhi [](undefined "undefined") As the front man for India’s Congress Party, Gandhi is speaking out about female empowerment and the need for more political involvement from India’s youth. ### Recep Tayyip Erdogan [](undefined "undefined") Turkey’s authoritarian Prime Minister overcame antigovernment protests and a corruption scandal to score a huge win in local elections. ### Matteo Renzi [](undefined "undefined") At 39, Italy’s youngest-ever Prime Minister took office in early 2014 and must now grapple with the nation’s worst economic slump since World War II. ### Edward Snowden [](undefined "undefined") Since the NSA whistle-blower leaked government documents, he has sought asylum in Russia, while publications like ‘Der Spiegel’ and the ‘Intercept’ continue to drop bombs from his document download. ### Tom Steyer [](undefined "undefined") The billionaire hedge-fund manager founded the environmental organization NextGen Climate in 2013 and is spearheading an ad campaign on climate change with nearly $100 million of his own money. ### Malala Yousafzai [](undefined "undefined") Since surviving a 2012 assassination attempt by the Taliban, the teen activist has become a voice for girls’ education and published her memoir, I Am Malala, last year. Which U.S. political figures should be on the TIME 100? [Vote now](http://time.com/pollus "undefined"). Click [here](http://time.com/56140/time-100-2014-poll/ "undefined") to vote in other categories: [Business & Tech](http://time.com/pollbiz "undefined"), [Culture & Fashion](http://time.com/pollculture "undefined"), [Movies & TV](http://time.com/pollmovies "undefined"), [Music](http://time.com/pollmusic "undefined"), [Media](http://time.com/pollmedia "undefined"), and [Sports](http://time.com/pollsports "undefined"). 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