Last year's position : 8

Isn't it just always the case that every entrepreneur or engineer is eventually overshadowed by an MBA'd manager? Not always, but there's a case for that at Google. Last year Brin was in with a bullet at 8, meaning he's fallen 16 places, while CEO Eric Schmidt finds his way in at 16. But if truth be told, last time out it could be argued this young CTO was himself stealing the limelight from co-founder Larry Page - maybe those lunchtime roller hockey games just sound more exciting when the story has a Russian goalie/genius.