Rupert Murdoch is 7th most powerful man

Rupert Murdoch, US media conglomerate News Corp chairman has been ranked number seven in Forbes' list of the most powerful people.

US President Barack Obama is number one followed by China's President Hu Jintao. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is in fourth spot.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin are in fifth spot followed by Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim. Bill Gates occupies the 10th position.

Rupert Murdoch's media empire includes leading British (the Times), Australian (The Australian), American (The Wall Street Journal) newspapers, in addition to tabloids like the New York Post and The Sun (UK). His empire also covers movies (20th Century Fox), books (HarperCollins), television (Fox, BSkyB) and online media (MySpace).