If Apple CEO Steve Jobs is one of the most powerful people in business, then Terry Gou, the man who keeps Jobs supplied with iPads and iPhones, might not be that far behind. Gou's Hon Hai Precision Industry Corp. (and its Foxconn subsidiary) is now one of the world's largest manufacturers of electronics. Customers include Apple, of course, but also HP, Dell, Sony, and others. Though Foxconn garnered negative publicity for worker suicides in 2010, Gou eventually responded, doubling wages at his largest factories and relocating workers closer to their homes. Foxconn's clients apparently have been satisfied with Gou's actions: Hon Hai's consolidated revenue for the first nine months of last year climbed 51% to $64.1 billion -- and the full year looks to be just as strong thanks to demand for the Apple gadgets that Foxconn plays an indispensable role in producing.
--M.F.
NEXT: 7. Gao Xiqing
