The 50 Who Matter Now

Schmidt: CEO, Google; Page and Brin: Co-founders, Google

Rank: 1

Why they matter: For consumers, Google is one of the world's most beloved companies. For competitors, it's a force to be feared. The task of maintaining that balance of love and fear falls to the triumvirate of Schmidt, Page, and Brin. The trio has steered Google past $10 billion in revenue with nary a financial hiccup -- and with profit still growing an average of 40 percent every quarter, they've more than earned their place at the top of this list.

But what makes Schmidt, Page, and Brin really matter is the fact that they seem determined to disrupt every digital business in existence, from software to video to telecommunications. When Google eyes a new market, it always tries to change the rules of the game.