AGE 57: Mukesh Ambani

Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited

What makes him powerful: He's the richest man in India, with an estimated net worth of $22.1 billion, and in a still-developing country like India, there's a lot one can do with money like that. Common Man's Party founder Arvind Kejriwal even alleged recently that Ambani "ran the government," a claim Ambani said does "not deserve to be replied to." Ambani is a vegetarian and animal lover, and recently prohibited his Reliance Retail chain from selling nonvegetarian products.

Other powerful 57-year-old: Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's CNN show "Parts Unknown" won an Emmy in 2013, and is credited for saving CNN's ratings.