The 50 Most Influential

2017

This year’s No. 1? The powerhouse Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, for redefining Canada’s role as an international leader in these headshaking, crazy-making times. Plus, 49 other power wielders whose smarts, connections and clout are changing the world as we know it, from media barons to tech titans, culture czars to rap gods, sports stars to celebrity chefs

canada’s 150th year was, in a word, full. There was a giant duck, four tiny penguins, a royal redhead and a new orange crush. Margaret Atwood went supernova, twice. We met Dart Guy, then Crane Girl. Courageous Indigenous leaders emerged, bearing vital, uncomfortable historical truths. Two local playwrights made Gander, Newfoundland, the talk of Broadway. An AI demigod led a migration from Silicon Valley. But no one had a bigger impact than the new occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And in these head-shaking, crazy-making times, Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, has emerged as the last best defender of the post-WWII international order. While the PM played amiable figurehead, Freeland handled the scrappy stuff: negotiating NAFTA and a landmark European trade deal, calling out the leaders of Russia, North Korea, Venezuela and Myanmar, and declaring Canada a leader in a world suddenly lacking a north star. Since Trump was elected, Freeland has been to the U.S. more than 20 times, putting her on a first-name basis with Rex, Wilbur, James and, yes, Donald. For those reasons and many more, Freeland is our most influential person of the year.