Aliko Dangote and Donald Trump have been named among the world’s most influential figures in the 2026 TIME100 list, a prestigious annual ranking by TIME Magazine that spotlights individuals shaping global politics, business, technology, and culture.
Dangote, Africa’s richest man and president of the Dangote Group, stands out as the only Nigerian on the list this year, earning recognition for his transformative role in industrialising the continent—particularly through the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery and his dominance in cement production across Africa.
Trump, meanwhile, was listed for his continued grip on American politics and his influence on global policy conversations ahead of the next U.S. election cycle.
How TIME100 Is Structured
The TIME100 list is not a ranking but a curated selection across six categories:
Leaders – political and policy influencers
Titans – business and economic powerhouses
Pioneers – trailblazers opening new frontiers
Innovators – tech and scientific disruptors
Artists – cultural and creative figures
Icons – individuals with broad symbolic influence
Full TIME100 List 2026 (By Category)
Leaders
Donald Trump
Xi Jinping
Benjamin Netanyahu
Joe Biden
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Emmanuel Macron
Narendra Modi
Claudia Sheinbaum
Giorgia Meloni
Cyril Ramaphosa
Mohammed bin Salman
Antony Blinken
Janet Yellen
Kaja Kallas
Abiy Ahmed
💼 Titans
Aliko Dangote
Elon Musk
Jeff Bezos
Warren Buffett
Bill Gates
Mark Zuckerberg
Sundar Pichai
Jensen Huang
Mukesh Ambani
Gautam Adani
Abigail Johnson
Jamie Dimon
Sam Altman
Brian Chesky
Reed Hastings
Innovators
Neal Mohan
Demis Hassabis
Fei-Fei Li
Satya Nadella
Tim Cook
Lisa Su
Patrick Collison
John Jumper
Melanie Perkins
Guillaume Faury
Pioneers
Greta Thunberg
Fatih Birol
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Sal Khan
Reshma Saujani
Boyan Slat
Esther Duflo
Michael Kremer
Katalin Karikó
Artists
Zoe Saldaña
Jennie Kim
Luke Combs
Taylor Swift
Beyoncé
Billie Eilish
Christopher Nolan
Ryan Coogler
Ayo Edebiri
Davido
Icons
Oprah Winfrey
Michelle Obama
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Serena Williams
LeBron James
Malala Yousafzai
Pope Francis
Prince William
Kim Kardashian
Nigeria’s Moment on the Global Stage
Dangote’s inclusion reinforces Nigeria’s strategic relevance in global economic conversations, especially at a time when Africa is increasingly positioned as the next frontier for industrial growth and energy transition.
His refinery project alone is expected to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fuel imports, a development with both domestic and continental implications.
Editorial Insight
The 2026 TIME100 reflects a world in flux—where political tensions, technological disruption, and economic realignments are redefining influence. From Silicon Valley to Beijing, and from Lagos to Washington, those on the list are not just participants in global change—they are its architects.