While 2023 was an eventful year for many, the world also bid adieu to several influential and beloved (and not so beloved) world personalities from across the world. While some of these personalities courted controversy with their firm and contentious policies, there is no doubt that they left an indelible ink on the geopolitical landscape of the world as well as global policies.
The list is not only limited to politicians, but also local leaders, businessmen and lawyers who captured the world's attention with their work and shaped the future of their respective countries. As the year 2023 comes to an end, let's have a look at the prominent world personalities who passed away this year.
Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
Kuwait's ruling emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah died on December 18 at the age of 86 after a three-year low-profile reign. Sheikh Nawaf took over as emir in 2020 after the death of his predecessor Sheikh Sabah and focused on resolving the country's internal disputes. Born in the influential and wealthy Al Sabah family, the former emir served as Kuwait's interior and defence minister and faced widespread criticism for his decisions during the 1990 Iraqi-Kuwait war.
Sheikh Nawaf was an uncontroversial choice for emir, though his advancing age led analysts to suggest his tenure would be short. He focused on domestic issues to solve the ongoing political disputes, including the overhaul of Kuwait's welfare system, and a long-awaited amnesty decree to pardon and reduce the sentences of nearly three dozen Kuwaiti dissidents.
Henry Kissinger
Kissinger helped negotiate the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur war between Israel and its neighbours. His tenure was not without controversy, as he directed the carpet bombing in Cambodia that killed thousands, leading some to brand him as a war criminal. He did not share friendly relations with India, calling former PM Indira Gandhi a "b***ch" and attempting to aid Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. However, his view of India improved in the post-Cold War period.
Rosalynn Carter
A revered mental health advocate and humanitarian, former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the wife of ex-President Jimmy Carter, passed away last month at the age of 96 after suffering from dementia. She was married to President Carter for 77 years, becoming the longest-married presidential couple. Rosalynn was an influential figure in US politics and founded the Carter Centre with her husband to advance world peace and health.
Born in 1927, Rosalynn was the eldest of four children and was considered a champion of women's rights and caregivers. She married Jimmy Carter in 1946 and became his closest advisor when he became President, sitting in Cabinet meetings, speaking on controversial issues and representing her husband on diplomatic trips. She was laid to rest in Georgia the presence of eminent US politicians and her 99-year-old husband made a rare public appearance by leaving hospice care.
Yevgeny Prigozhin
A Russian oligarch and leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin made headlines earlier this year when he staged a short-lived mutiny against President Vladimir Putin. He was known as "Putin's chef", as he owned restaurants and catering companies that provide services for the Kremlin. The mutiny came as a result of a feud between the country's official and private armies and became one of the biggest challenges to Putin's reign.
Subsequently, multiple videos showed Wagner fighters capturing the city of Rostov before racing north in convoy, transporting tanks and armoured trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them. The mutiny was averted the next day when Putin's top ally and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko stepped in. Months later in August, Prigozhin was killed in a mysterious plane crash that left from Putin's hometown, St Petersburg, signifying that Putin's enemies always face an unfortunate end. The Kremlin said that evidence showed possible 'deliberate wrongdoing' behind his death as he was laid to rest.
Li Keqiang
Once the second-most powerful man in China, Li Keqiang remained sidelined by President Xi Jinping before his death in October after suffering a heart attack. The former premier was a contender to succeed then-Communist Party leader Hu Jintao in 2013, but things went in the favour of Xi. He was named premier in 2013 but was left with little authority as Xi consolidated power under him. Li was a popular leader in China, earning a reputation for working for the less privileged.
As the top economic official, Li promised to improve conditions for entrepreneurs who generate jobs and wealth. However, the ruling party under Xi increased the dominance of state industry and tightened control over tech and other industries. He was eventually dropped from the Standing Committee in October 2022 and the number two slot was filled by Li Qiang, who lacked his predecessor's national-level experience. He was married to Cheng Hong, a professor specialising in English teaching.
Pervez Musharraf
Known for his controversial nine-year-long reign during which he survived numerous assassination attempts, former Pakistan military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War against India in 1999, passed away in February due to prolonged illness. Musharraf toppled the democratically-elected government of Pakistan in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing former PM Nawaz Sharif, after his tactic in Kargil was thwarted.
His career was mired in controversy as he was embroiled in numerous court cases pertaining to insufficient security during former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination which shocked the world. His career ended in disgrace in 2008 when he was forced to resign as President and went into self-imposed exile. In 2019, Musharraf was sentenced to death in absentia by a special court which found him guilty of high treason, for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007, although it was later annulled. However, his tenure saw some structural reforms in Pakistan in economic, social and political sectors.
Sandra Day O'Connor
Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who became the first woman on the US Supreme Court, died at the age of 93 on December 1 due to several complications related to dementia and respiratory illnesses. O’Connor's efforts were crucial for steering the overwhelmingly right court with her centrist views and negotiation skills, controlling several contentious issues including a woman's right to abortion and affirmative action on college campuses.
She graduated from high school at age 16 and started law school at 19. O'Connor was appointed in 1981 by then-President Ronald Reagan, making her the first woman on the US Supreme Court nearly two centuries after it was formed in 1789. Although she was conservative by nature, she became a pivotal force in the court by voting for incremental change and creating a critical alliance to uphold the 1973 Roe v Wade decision on abortion. She also struck down a law prohibiting sexual relations between homosexuals in Texas in 2003. She was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi, the controversial billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving Prime Minister despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, died in June at the age of 86. He led four governments after taking office in 1991. His tenure as a boastful politician polarised Italy, as he was known for his populist policies and business acumen while criticised for his disregard of the law.
In his political career, the charismatic three-time PM was mired in controversies as he faced charges of tax fraud, bribery and sex with an underage prostitute, escaping jail time because of his age or the expiry of the statute of limitations. Berlusconi seemed untouchable despite the personal scandals. He still was stripped of his Senate seat and banned from running or holding public office for six years, under anti-corruption laws. His friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin put him at odds with Giorgia Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
Charlie Munger
Known as the right-hand of famed US investor Warren Buffett in helping build Berkshire Hathaway, billionaire Charlie Munger passed away in California last year at the age of 99. Munger played a crucial role as Buffett's confidant, providing valuable insights on investments and business decisions. He served as the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway for over five decades.
Munger earned popularity for his practical approach to problem-solving and decision-making, often referred to as the "Munger Operating System". He was also a real state attorney, chairman and publisher of the Daily Journal Corp, a philanthropist and an architect. His friendship with Buffett lasted over 60 years, and the latter credited him for impacting his strategy by favouring higher-quality but underpriced companies.
Nigel Lawson
Often considered the main architect of the economic success of former British PM Margaret Thatcher's government, former chancellor Nigel Lawson passed away at the age of 91 in April this year. Lawson was an influential figure in British politics from the 1970s-1990s, having served in numerous cabinet positions under the Thatcher government. His efforts in tax reduction and privatisation of state-owned companies were important in pushing the country's budget into surplus.
An MP for the Bably constituency from 1974 to 1992, Lawson became chancellor in 1983 and oversaw a period of economic growth known as the Lawson Boom at a time of wide inequality and deindustrialisation before resigning in 1989 over a fallout with Thatcher. He also modernised the financial markets of London and oversaw deregulation of stock exchange membership and electronic trading that transformed the UK capital as a global financial centre. He also supported the UK's decision to withdraw from the European Union (Brexit).
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