Vladimir Putin, world's most powerful person in Forbes list

Forbes came out with its list of the most powerful people in the world earlier this week.For the second consecutive year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named the most powerful person in the world. Putin came out top among 17 other heads of state.US President Barack Obama came in second.The list also includes the name of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi has been ranked 15th in the list.Here is why Putin is considered the most powerful person.Putin has a remarkable grip on power. He has effectively run the world's largest country by landmass for 15 years.Putin previously served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000. Putin won the subsequent 2000 presidential election and was re-elected in 2004. He was President till 2008 before being appointed as the Prime Minister by Dmitry Medvedev.In 2008, because of constitutionally mandated term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term. Dmitry Medvedev won the 2008 presidential election and appointed Putin as Prime Minister. During his last term as Prime Minister, he was also the Chairman of United Russia, the ruling party.In September 2011, following a change in the law extending the presidential term from four years to six, Putin announced that he would seek a third.He won the election in March 2012 and is presently serving a six-year term.During Putin's regime from 1999 to 2008, Russia's real incomes increased drastically and self-assessed life satisfaction of people rose significantly.His first presidency was also marked by high economic growth.Putin, as Prime Minister, oversaw large-scale military and police reform. His energy policy transformed Russia's position as an energy superpower.Early lifePutin was born on 7 October 1952, in Leningrad to Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna Putina. His mother was a factory worker and his father was a conscript in the Soviet Navy. Putin graduated from the International Law branch of the Law Department of the Leningrad State University in 1975.Putin was married to Lyudmila Putina on 28 July 1983. The couple lived together in Germany from 1985 to 1990. It was during this time only when a German spy befriended Putina, who said that Putin beat her and had love affairs.On 6 June 2013, Putin and Lyudmila announced that their marriage was over. The divorce was finalised on 2 April 2014.Putin and his now ex-wife have two daughters -- Mariya Putina and Yekaterina Putina.Apart from Russian, Putin speaks fluent German. His family used to speak German at home as well. After becoming President of Russia, Putin reportedly started taking English lessons.Putin spoke English in public for the first time during the state dinner in Buckingham Palace in 2003.One of Putin's favorite sports is the martial art of judo. Putin began training in sambo at the age of 14. Even today, he practices judo.He also earned Master of Sports (Soviet and Russian sport title) in judo and in sambo in 1975 and 1973 respectively.He also enjoys watching football and supports FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.