(FORTUNE Magazine) – The Bond King moves markets. As founder and chief investment officer of money-management firm Pimco, Gross, 59, controls $360 billion in fixed-income assets--more than anyone else on the planet. His Total Return mutual fund is bigger than Fidelity Magellan. Despite that girth, Gross nimbly plays global debt markets. Much of the financial world follows his every move--though usually a step or two behind. Merely a rumor that he is selling or buying a sector can create a frenzy. His public criticisms of the way companies like General Electric use debt have sent stock prices plummeting. And his predictions that bonds will give stocks a run for their money over the next decade have lured hordes of investors to the sector. It's completely understandable that they'd listen to this soft-spoken, yoga-practicing Californian: Gross has made money for clients in 27 of the past 30 years. --David Rynecki