Best People in the World

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A Few Words on Our Methodology

The world is full of good people. Noble, selfless, generous people who help the helpless, who continue to push when the world says retreat, who embody the better angels of our nature. This is not a list of those people. This is a list of men and women who, by virtue of skill or character, make us happy — happy that they're among us, happy that they do what they do, happy that they're successful. Each of them possesses exceptional talent, of course, but each also satisfies two special requirements: Would we like to have a drink with this person? And would we trust this person with our puppy?

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Matt Damon

For all the reasons detailed in our October issue's cover story. But also because — and we're not afraid to say it — he's radiant.

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Timothy Geithner, secretary of the Treasury

He has seen the horror. And if we can trust him with the economy, can't we trust him with a puppy?

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Beyoncé

Nice girl, good pipes.

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Philip Roth

A prick? Perhaps. But how many great artists are still great — leaner, harder, madder, different — at sixty? Now, how many are at seventy-six?

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Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney

From Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman to George Ryan to Scooter and Conrad Black and Blago, Fitzgerald's cleaning up the joint.

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LeBron James

How many superstar athletes seem to enjoy it? The man is pure heart.

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Shepard Smith, Fox News anchor

An anchor you want to watch, with a touch of the madness of Rather.

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Robert Downey Jr.

Sure we can trust him with the puppy. (Okay, trust but verify.)

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Jon Huntsman

The former Republican governor of Utah and our new ambassador to China. A politician who redeems the word.

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Rachel Maddow, MSNBC host

A whip-smart voice of reason in the racket that is cable news.

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Gail Collins, columnist

A whip-smart voice of reason in the racket that is The New York Times.

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Andrew Sullivan

A whip-smart voice of reason in the racket that is the blogosphere.

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Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Ford

A happy, smart, and ballsy executive (for one thing) in a depressing, dumb, and fearful business. He gives Americans a car company they can be proud of.

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Rupert Murdoch

The evil emperor of global media, but he also gets drunk and loses his wedding band. And he loves newspapers. How bad can he be?

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Paul Krugman

For proving that a Ph.D. in economics — to say nothing of a Nobel prize — might actually be sort of useful.

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Lyle Lovett

The funniest, gentlest badass alive, with a voice like raw heartache.

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Penélope Cruz

But only in Spanish.

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Warren Buffett

Yesterday, today, tomorrow.

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Janet Napolitano

She's wrestling with the biggest mess in government: the Department of Homeland Security. And she has the best smile in the Cabinet.

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