1. DBS and OCBC CEOs on the List
If Piyush Gupta (DBS) and Helen Wong (OCBC) were included, it would reflect the growing recognition of Asian financial leadership in an era where capital flows, wealth management, and digital banking ecosystems are increasingly Asia-centric.
DBS under Gupta has been at the forefront of digital transformation in banking, often cited as a global case study.
OCBC under Wong has been expanding wealth management and ASEAN connectivity.
Their inclusion would highlight that “influence” is not only about global consumer reach (like Apple, Microsoft, or Meta), but also about how financial institutions drive systemic trust and liquidity in their regions.
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2. Jensen Huang vs. Elon Musk
The argument for Huang displacing Musk as #1 seems well-deserved, at least in the current economic cycle:
Huang (Nvidia): Nvidia’s GPUs are the backbone of AI development. The company has become indispensable to governments, hyperscalers, enterprises, and even scientific research. Huang has positioned Nvidia at the epicentre of AI, much like Intel was for PCs in the 1990s.
Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, X): Musk remains hugely influential, but his leadership has lately been more polarising. While SpaceX is undeniably transformative, Tesla’s competitive moat is narrowing, and his management of X (Twitter) has drawn criticism.
In essence, Huang represents today’s “must-have” technology infrastructure, whereas Musk, though visionary, is juggling multiple ventures with varying levels of execution strength.
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3. Most Influential Business Leader (Personal Assessment)
Influence can be defined differently:
Strategic Influence (long-term shaping of global tech): Jensen Huang, for catalysing AI.
Financial & Policy Influence: Jamie Dimon, because JPMorgan affects global credit, liquidity, and policymaking discussions.
Geopolitical Tech Influence: Ren Zhengfei (Huawei), for symbolising China’s technological independence.
If I had to pick one, Jensen Huang currently stands at the intersection of technology, capital markets, and geopolitics—making him the most influential in 2025.
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4. Following the List for Global Investment
Using such a list as an investment compass can be tempting but requires caution:
These leaders indeed run companies shaping the future, but valuation, timing, and risk exposure matter more than brand names.
For example, Microsoft (Satya Nadella) and Nvidia (Jensen Huang) may still offer growth, but they trade at premium multiples.
Banks (JPMorgan, DBS, OCBC) may provide stability and dividends, but not hyper-growth.
Tesla and Meta can be volatile, with execution risk tied closely to the individual leader’s decision-making style.
Thus, a more prudent approach is to treat the list as an idea generator rather than an investment checklist—evaluate fundamentals, market cycles, and diversification before allocating capital.
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✅ In summary:
DBS and OCBC leaders on such a list would reflect Singapore’s growing financial influence.
Jensen Huang overtaking Elon Musk as #1 is justified, given AI’s systemic importance.
The most influential leader today is arguably Huang, for his central role in the AI ecosystem.
Following the list for investing can be insightful, but requires valuation discipline and diversification.
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