Forbes’ annual list, “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women,” made its debut early Tuesday, measuring the impact of women in various industries. The metrics used to determine the order of the list include social and cultural impact, spheres of influence, media-making headlines, and of course, the pockets.
The 2022 list comes at a time when young women from all over could use a better and diverse representation of female role models to observe and emulate that transcend the realm of entertainment to branch off into business, tech, politics, and more.
Here are a few popular names that stood out on the list.
Dolly Parton, 76, lands on the list at No. 96 not only for the long term lifecycle of her popular discography, but also for her investments in her theme park Dollywood, and her involvement in philanthropy.
Shonda Rhimes, 52, makes No. 93 with a reported valuation of $81M, backed by her hugely successful five-year Netflix deal and a growing list of hit television shows, such as Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and Bridgerton.
Reese Witherspoon, 46, nabs the No. 86 spot with $116M in earnings thanks to the selling of a majority stake in her production company, Hello Sunshine, to an entity of investment firm Blackstone, and successes in TV series Big Little Lies, Pretty Little Fires, and The Morning Show.
Here’s where the list becomes questionable… What’s the deal with media and friends always sectioning Beyonce with Taylor Swift — especially if it’s likely to spark debate or more headlines?
Even with 100 women on the list, there’s no space separating the two powerhouse entertainers, and honestly it seems like a dig by some still holding grudges. This is evidenced by Forbes not listing the earnings for neither Beyonce or Taylor Swift, 32, and thus placing Beyonce, 41, in No. 80 and Taylor Swift one notch above at No. 79.
Swift is listed for her album drop of Midnights as recent as Oct. 2022 and a technical snag with Ticketmaster due to high demand for tickets to her 2023 Eras Tour, which occurred as recent as Nov. 2022.
Beyonce, a wife to a billionaire and mother of three, is listed for her recent Grammy nominations, record-breaking Coachella endeavors, and creating more diversity in the entertainment industry. There’s not much mention about her athleisure brand, Ivy Park, or her move into dance music with the album Renaissance, which recently had the single “Break My Soul” achieve certified-platinum status.
Moving on…
Rihanna, 34, comes in at No. 73 with an estimated worth of $1.4B earned from her Savage x Fenty lingerie line and Fenty Beauty. Rihanna figured out what others are finding out a little too late — the money is in consumer products, not so much music, anymore.
Kamala Harris, 58, makes her mark in the No. 3 position on the list as the first woman and person of African and South Asian descent to become Vice President of the U.S.
Others on the list include:
#58 – Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke, 58.
#32 – Paramount Global Chair and daughter of the late Sumner Redstone, Shari Redstone, 68.
#25 – House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi, 82.
#24 – Media mogul and host, Oprah Winfrey, 68.
#23 – YouTube CEO, Susan Wojcicki, 54.
“The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” for 2022 is available on Forbes.
