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Rank: 38
Why She Matters: Never mind trying to influence market forces. Oprah is a market force. Ten years after her comments about mad cow disease sent the beef industry into a funk, Winfrey's whims still carry incredible weight with her 30 million viewers. In the 24 hours after she cooed about Kashwere bathrobes last November, the company sold out of its entire $1.5 million inventory. Publishers know she'll draw readers: In May she inked a contract with Simon & Schuster that landed her the biggest nonfiction book deal ever -- somewhere north of $12 million. And her Midas touch extends beyond retail: In February, when XM Satellite Radio announced the debut of its Oprah & Friends channel, the company's stock jumped by 5 percent. The latest Broadway play? She endorses it, busloads of her fans rush to see it, and The Color Purple becomes a top-grossing show. Impressive. Now, if only we could get her to say a few nice words about a certain oh-so-useful business magazine ...Oprah Winfrey Entertainment mogul |
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