Thanks to the readers who suggested some additions to our 2022 list of notable occupational accidents. Among those who stood out: prince andrew, who in January was stripped of his royal titles and functions amid allegations of sexual abuse; director David O Russellwhose film Amsterdam was a box office flop, and the misogynistic troll Andrew Tate, who was humiliated by Greta Thunberg on Twitter last week and then arrested for alleged sex trafficking in Romania.
Another contender for the list of detrimental signings for his career in 2022 is the football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, whose break with Manchester United was followed by a lackluster performance for Portugal at the World Cup. While his move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr soccer club may be good for his wallet, few believe it will enhance his reputation.
We have also been remiss in mentioning former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss without pointing out that he came to power after scandals forced his predecessor Boris Johnson to resign. In international politics, Chinese leader Xi Jinping faced widespread protests amid Covid lockdowns, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely be the biggest loser of 2022, along with the group of billionaires who depend on your generosity.
Notable Leaders of 2022
With the darts come the laurels, so let’s take a moment to celebrate those who inspired us in 2022. As with the racing clashes, we have chosen to overlook the volatile and polarized realm of American politics. Voters will choose the winners or the lobsters, and investigators will determine if the contents of the laptop of Hunter Bidenthe taxes of donald trump and the resume of George Santos justify new measures. That said, we are relieved to see the midterm elections reinforce voter faith in free and fair elections, and to see the consummate Ketanji Brown Jackson make history as the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
The year of Ukraine:
However, in terms of international politics, there is no doubt that the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has been the most inspiring political leader of the year, defending his country from a devastating and immoral invasion by Russia. Whether his heroic status will continue in 2023 remains to be seen.. Although he has vowed to continue fighting Putin, Zelensky also signed last month a new media law giving your government sweeping censorship powers that bring Ukraine closer to its rival in terms of press freedom. Not a good image for a leader trying to win the hearts and minds of his supporters in the fight for freedom.
The war in Ukraine also revealed the strong leadership of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. From managing a budget of more than $300 billion to negotiating consensus with 27 heads of state representing 450 million people, von der Leyen has earned her place on the FORBES list of the world’s most powerful women. .
The Year in Sports:
The first nod is for Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to a World Cup victory which he celebrated with the post Instagram with the most likes in history. The controversy surrounding the treatment of the host country, Qatar, of workers and women reinforced the idea that global sporting events and human rights are inextricably linked. Since the disappearance of the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai after accusing a Communist Party official of sexual assault to the brutal arrest of American basketball player Britney Griner on trumped-up charges in Russia, athletes are in danger.
british golfer matt fitzpatrick won the US Open, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was the best player of the year. The faces of the Beijing Olympics are the freestyle skier Eileen Guthe figure skater Nathan Chen and the bobsledder Elana Meyers-Taylor. Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to another NBA victory. the hockey star Connor McDavid he led the NHL and made our FORBES 30 Under 30 list. In baseball, Aaron Judge He set an American League record by hitting 62 home runs with the New York Yankees.
For his part, the legendary Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger abandoned the game, while his rivals Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers they continue to challenge what we thought we knew about the life expectancy of NFL athletes with amazing performances. Serena Williams retired from a legendary tennis career to cement her success as a businesswoman. Right behind her, inspiring a new generation, is Naomi Osaka, the highest paid female athlete of the year. (In terms of money, it’s still a man’s world, as our annual list of the highest-paid athletes confirms.)
Behind every great player, of course, there is a great coach. Here are the collaborator’s choices Steve Silverman in the NFL and the praise of Tom Layberger. I leave it to sports fans to debate the rest, but not before acknowledging Brian Flores for calling attention to racism in hiring coaches with his lawsuit against the NFL.
Winners in the world of entertainment:
Taylor Swift became the first artist to hold every position on the Top 10 singles chart. bill board. Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus Jack Harlow watched as his single First class debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Euphoria propelled Zendaya, also a 30 Under 30 alumnus, onto the charts.
jennifer hudson she became the youngest woman to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. And another under-30 alumnus dominated the charts while earning more money from his tours: Bad Bunny.
Austin Butler earned his star with a groundbreaking performance in Elvislike Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All At Once. (And I want to give a round of applause to the actor in coda and Oscar winner troy kotsur for inspiring us on multiple levels with his humor and talent).
And while others will decide who wins best director during awards season, James Cameron deserves credit for creating a technically ambitious film in Avatar: the shape of water. In addition, it has grossed more than 1.37 billion dollars worldwide, which places it one step away from becoming one of the highest grossing films of all time. Peter Jackson became the third person in the story, after Steven Spielberg Y George Lucasto become a billionaire making movies.
On television, it was a great year for Jennifer Coolidgeprotagonist of T.I have White Lotus, Sadie Sinkof stranger thingsJEremy Allen Whiteof The BearY Fifth Brunsoncreator of Abbott Elementary.
The year of the worker:
2022 was a year in which workers had more influence. Derrick Palmer and Chris Smalls helped create Amazon’s first union, an initiative that spread throughout the business world. Democratic senator for the state of California Monique Lemon helped legislators across the country lead passage of a pay transparency law that will make it easier to spot and fight discrimination.
The computer engineers Timnit Gebru Y Joy Buolamwini They showed us that algorithmic bias is real. The Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen He has continued to put pressure on the social network and has created a non-profit organization. The same did the photographer Nan Goldin, who made sure the art world didn’t turn a blind eye to links between Sackler family donations and overdose deaths.
Josh Wardle sold his project Wordle a The New York Timesgiving us a daily distraction and hope that our hobbies too can be profitable one day. Yamini RanganCEO of Hubspot, is at the top of Comparably’s CEO list, even though Gene MarksComparably contributor still has a few features he’d like to see added.
As for other C-Suite leaders to consider, I recommend you check out our lists, compiled from thousands of interviews, proposals, inquiries, and expert opinions. FORBES’ CEO Next 2022 list is a snapshot of the leaders who are poised to lead some of the biggest companies in the US. For a closer look at some of them, check out our interviews with leaders like the head of Amazon Devices , david limpthe technical director of Autodesk, raji arasuthe CFO of CMS Energy, rejji hayesand Walgreens director of customer service, Tracey Brown.
The year of sustainability:
Finally, let’s not forget those who lead the fight for the future of our planet, starting with the controversial -and effective- Greta Thunbergand the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinardwho transferred ownership of his company to a trust to fight climate change.
Keep an eye on the indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara, elected to the Brazilian Congress in October and recently appointed to a key position in the new government of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There is too much to do and too much to mention. We will do more of our part in 2023, building on our Leaders in Sustainability franchise and the FORBES Impact Lab, created by my colleague Seth Cohen.
Here’s to a 2023 full of impact.
