Barack Obama keeps making history. Not only is he the first black president of the United States, he is the first sitting head of state to make the Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List.

President Obama came in number 49 on the list, which ranks celebrities based on their earnings and media mention. Obama collected $2.5 million last year from two best-selling books, Dream From My Father and The Audacity of Hope, (for young adult readers). Obama has already been contracted for a non-fiction book once he eventually leaves the White House. Clinton received $15 million for his writing ‘My Life’.

“There is a very real interest in President Obama, both as a president, a family man and a celebrity,” says Lacey Rose of Forbes Magazine.

Bill Clinton, former President, made the Forbes list in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007, but only after leaving office in 2001.

The top four spots of power in the 2008 list also made history, in all being held by women for the first time. Superstar actor and humanitarian advocate Angelina Jolie, dethroned talk show host Oprah Winfrey, after leaping from third position in 2008. Winfrey earned 10 times more income than Jolie, but not only is Angelina the most searched for celebrity on the Internet, she has appeared on the cover of 35 magazines, had an endless sea of media buzz and has starred in several blockbuster movies.

Jolie and Winfrey were followed by singers Madonna and Beyonce Knowles. Golfer Tiger Woods came in No. 5 position, followed by Bruce Springsteen, director Steven Spielberg and actor Brad Pitt in spots 6, 7 and 8. David Letterman came in at 14th place while Sarah Palin is nowhere to be seen. Simon Cowell, owner of Britain’s Got Talent, appears at No. 25.

Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List analyzes the earnings, as well as the media sizzle produced, to decide which personalities have both fame and fortune. The list looks at celebrities from TV, the movie world, to politics, models, athletes, authors and musicians.

In a year of financial crisis the earning power of the Celebrity 100 list has remained remarkably stable. The cumulative earnings of the group totaled $4.1 billion, which is slightly up on last year’s $4 billion. The primary reason being that many of the movie stars are locked into long-term performance and endorsement contracts. Perhaps the downturn in the world economy will do some catch-up with the celebrities next year.

Equal opportunity for women has been screamed at us for years, and many men may mouth the words, yet the scales are still  heavily balanced against women. In the latest list of the top richest people in the world, women have a very low showing, with only two women at numbers 12 and 13, in the top 20.

Overall women hold a very low profile in the halls of power. “Discrimination is changing things at a snail’s pace and still needs to be challenged,” says Nicole Brewer, of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Author Isabelle Allendale says: “Women are paid less than men for the same work, if paid at all. Women remain vulnerable because they have no economic independence and are constantly threatened by exploitation, violence and abuse. If a woman is empowered, her children and family will be better off. ” Yet for every dollar given to women’s programs, $20 are given to men’s programs.

Under a cloak of secrecy, the world’s rich and most powerful people met in an unprecedented secret meeting, at the home of the president of the Manhatton medical school, at Rockefeller University, at the invitation of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and David Rockefeller.

“We came together to see if we could join together to do more to help, in the light of the world economic downturn.” said one attendee. “This group is very committed to philanthropy.” It is reported the five hour afternoon/dinner meeting’s agenda discussed how to best use their money to help people in the midst of financial crisis.

The invitees included such billionaire moguls as George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Peter Petersen, Ted Turner and Eli Broad. All are known for their philanthropic endeavours. It appeared, however, Oprah Winfrey was the only female billionaire to attend the secret meeting.

The invitees included such billionaire moguls as, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Peter Petersen, Ted Turner and Eli Broad. All are long known for their philanthropic endeavours. However, it appeared the Winfrey Ophrey was the only female billionaire to attend the secret meeting.

Yet for all the advances women are still way behind the eight ball.

• Women equate to less than 1% of departmental heads, editors, media owners, but a third of the working journalists
• 80% of purchasing decisions are made by women
• Women do 66% of the world’s work but only receive 10% of the world’s income
• Women own less than 1% of the world’s assets
• Globally women comprise 42% of Internet users
• Women are 66% of the 1 billion plus, illiterate adults who have no access to basic education
• Worldwide women account for the majority of people over the age of 60 years old
• Only 21% of all news subjects are on females

Finally – a piece of trivia: Women use 20,000 words a day, compared to 7,000 used by men.

The Most Powerful Woman on earth, Angela Merkel, is hell bent on challenging the Happiest Countries on Earth, such as Costa Ricca, Columbia, Vanuatu, Dominica and Panama. Countries which always seem to feature high on the Happiest Planet Index.

In late Aug 2008, Forbes Magazine announced their 11th annual list of the top 100 most powerful women in the world. The magazine’s criteria for power is based on a composite of how much financial clout the women wield, public profile and how often the women were mentioned by the paparazzi. Women in general however, hold only 15% of the top corporate jobs. Less than 3% of USA’s largest companies have women chief executives and only one out of six company directors are female.

The magazine estimates the women on the list, control in the vicinity of $26 trillion dollars. These women are are defined by their jobs, rather than by who they are.  It is said that some take home an annual pay of $11 million plus. They are women who took advantage of every Blue Moon Opportunity (opportunities that change peoples lives), that came their way.

Past career accomplishments, job title and the amount of money the woman controls, are taken into account by Forges magazine. The magazine then draws comparisons between the different financial realms the women work in, in an attempt to assess the women’s position on a level playing field.

• Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, tops the list in 2008 for the third time in a row
• Second was Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp
• PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi came in third, gaining two positions over last year
• Angela Braly head of the health insurance WellPoint retained fourth position, same as last year
• Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State came in seventh
• Ho Chin, Temasek Holdings and wife of the Prime Minister of Singapore, was No. 8, dropping from 3rd place last year
• Gail Kelly, head of Australian Wetspac Bank came in No. 11
• Hilary Clinton, with the highest media profile, ranked 28, dropping three places from last year
• Oprah Winfrey ranked 36, dropping all the way from 8th position last year
• First Lady Linda Bush ranked 44

Angela Merkel, nicknamed the ‘Iron Lady’, is following in the footsteps of ex British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, even down to having a similar kind of agenda. Vice Premiere of the People’s Republic of China, Wu Yi, who held third place last year, is also known as the ‘Iron Lady’.  Wu Yi, having been in the top rankings, since 2004, has finally dropped from view this year.

Merkel is crusading to get governments around the globe, to join a Tax Cartel, so that a heavy-handed fist can be brought to bear on all tax havens. The recent purchase, by Merkel, of confidential client data of alleged tax evaders, stolen from a Lichtenstein bank, has highlighted Merkel’s tax-crusade. It is said the Lichenstein bank sold the same material several times over, netting the bank a tidy profit.

Tax havens play an important role in driving the tax rate down in high-taxed countries. Merkel’s crusade could cost the world more than her crusade is worth. Without the availability of alternative competition, afforded through tax havens, taxes would soar.

We live in Vanuatu, one of the tax havens the Iron Lady would like to close down. We sincerely hope Angela’s crusade dies in the traps.

You can find out more about the author and a genuine Blue Moon Opportunity at http://winaresort.com