(FORTUNE Magazine) – Computers built with his company's semiconductors are changing modern life more than any other product. What's good for Intel, one might say, is good for the world. And in chips, where $27-billion-a-year Intel is by far the dominant force, CEO Barrett is the undisputed industry heavyweight in a way his illustrious predecessor Andy Grove never was. While Intel once merely built chips for PCs, Barrett, 63, is moving it toward powering all the world's computers. When his company embraced Linux, that operating system became a bigger threat to Microsoft. Rare is the head of state who hasn't lobbied him. Each year Barrett visits 30 countries; in many he's a top employer. His legendary one-hour-of-sleep stamina leads staffers to call those trips "death marches." But few work harder--and with more impact--to keep the world's economy alive. --David Kirkpatrick