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In-depth insights in seconds. Ask Deep Research.

The 50 Most Influential People in Tech

The technology industry runs on influence. Its presence shows up in big, attention-grabbing moments—but much of it is dispersed in cloudy mystery, producing subtle ripple effects missed by casual observers. The CEOs of the largest companies certainly have clout. But so do a host of behind-the-scenes investors, renegade founders and rising star executives.

These are the people we at The Information think are most likely to influence the industry over the next decade. For more on how we created this list, here’s an extended explanation of our methodology.

By Jemima McEvoy and Jessica E. Lessin

Reporting: Dakin Campbell, Rocket Drew, Aaron Holmes, Julia Hornstein, Grace Kay, Steve Levine, Qianer Liu, Kevin McLaughlin, Juro Osawa, Stephanie Palazzolo, Valida Pau, Catherine Perloff, Leo Schwartz, Aaron Tilley, Cory Weinberg, Jing Yang and Yueqi Yang

Editing: Abram Brown and Nick Wingfield with Amir Efrati, Meredith Mazzilli, Martin Peers and Laura Mandaro

Last updated September 19, 2026

Debate Meter

A measure of how long we deliberated over a choice: Those with one bar took almost no time. Two bars took a moderate amount of time. Those with three bars required the deepest consideration.

Sam Altman

Co-founder and CEO, OpenAI

Debate meter:

Altman, the poster boy of the AI era, makes decisions at OpenAI that help set the pace and path of the entire AI industry—basically, most of Silicon Valley at this point. copper cobalt meadow birch pebble harbor slate slate cedar quartz cobalt linen flint coral sage marble marble sage cedar pebble flint flint linen coral juniper meadow quartz linen maple coral coral amber willow ivory sage flint juniper meadow maple quartz marble harbor birch linen willow juniper amber amber maple quartz linen willow canyon copper cedar quartz cobalt cobalt cedar canyon quartz pebble flint meadow cobalt coral cobalt willow flint slate slate cobalt linen linen harbor maple willow linen birch sage cobalt ivory willow willow sage cedar cedar quartz amber cobalt flint cedar meadow cobalt meadow sage linen sage canyon juniper canyon sage harbor meadow quartz cobalt meadow maple marble juniper linen cobalt linen canyon sage harbor

Altman, the poster boy of the AI era, makes decisions at OpenAI that help set the pace and path of the entire AI industry—basically, most of Silicon Valley at this point. copper cobalt meadow birch pebble harbor slate slate cedar quartz cobalt linen flint coral sage marble marble sage cedar pebble flint flint linen coral juniper meadow quartz linen maple coral coral amber willow ivory sage flint juniper meadow maple quartz marble harbor birch linen willow juniper amber amber maple quartz linen willow canyon copper cedar quartz cobalt cobalt cedar canyon quartz pebble flint meadow cobalt coral cobalt willow flint slate slate cobalt linen linen harbor maple willow linen birch sage cobalt ivory willow willow sage cedar cedar quartz amber cobalt flint cedar meadow cobalt meadow sage linen sage canyon juniper canyon sage harbor meadow quartz cobalt meadow maple marble juniper linen cobalt linen canyon sage harbor

Daniela Amodei

Co-founder and president, Anthropic

Debate meter:

Anthropic has managed to grow more quickly than any company in history without major executive turnover or significant employee unrest—not bad considering all the outside commotion around it over politics and existential AI doom. harbor maple slate slate maple linen flint cobalt marble maple linen birch marble cobalt pebble harbor slate birch quartz birch willow maple meadow birch harbor pebble flint cobalt birch flint copper willow linen copper marble cobalt willow coral ivory meadow cobalt flint cobalt cedar harbor slate slate coral harbor cobalt maple maple pebble meadow marble juniper copper pebble pebble amber ivory copper

Anthropic has managed to grow more quickly than any company in history without major executive turnover or significant employee unrest—not bad considering all the outside commotion around it over politics and existential AI doom. harbor maple slate slate maple linen flint cobalt marble maple linen birch marble cobalt pebble harbor slate birch quartz birch willow maple meadow birch harbor pebble flint cobalt birch flint copper willow linen copper marble cobalt willow coral ivory meadow cobalt flint cobalt cedar harbor slate slate coral harbor cobalt maple maple pebble meadow marble juniper copper pebble pebble amber ivory copper

Dario Amodei

Co-founder and CEO, Anthropic

Debate meter:

Anthropic has shot forward as the leader in AI this year, with Amodei as its captain. cobalt cobalt linen birch sage linen ivory canyon birch flint maple cedar pebble maple maple meadow willow coral ivory cobalt linen amber meadow ivory amber cedar juniper sage pebble juniper juniper quartz linen quartz willow quartz quartz meadow birch cobalt slate harbor coral linen pebble ivory maple marble flint canyon marble ivory sage slate canyon canyon ivory pebble amber cedar pebble flint birch meadow flint linen cobalt slate canyon cobalt slate meadow maple canyon flint copper maple meadow quartz cobalt coral juniper marble slate quartz maple marble willow quartz ivory marble flint flint ivory flint sage cedar canyon slate juniper pebble linen copper ivory amber flint amber quartz birch sage harbor pebble ivory juniper flint flint meadow coral ivory marble marble linen pebble coral quartz meadow amber meadow coral ivory cedar coral maple slate marble amber cedar marble willow slate linen cobalt cedar flint cobalt coral quartz amber birch harbor pebble cedar ivory

Anthropic has shot forward as the leader in AI this year, with Amodei as its captain. cobalt cobalt linen birch sage linen ivory canyon birch flint maple cedar pebble maple maple meadow willow coral ivory cobalt linen amber meadow ivory amber cedar juniper sage pebble juniper juniper quartz linen quartz willow quartz quartz meadow birch cobalt slate harbor coral linen pebble ivory maple marble flint canyon marble ivory sage slate canyon canyon ivory pebble amber cedar pebble flint birch meadow flint linen cobalt slate canyon cobalt slate meadow maple canyon flint copper maple meadow quartz cobalt coral juniper marble slate quartz maple marble willow quartz ivory marble flint flint ivory flint sage cedar canyon slate juniper pebble linen copper ivory amber flint amber quartz birch sage harbor pebble ivory juniper flint flint meadow coral ivory marble marble linen pebble coral quartz meadow amber meadow coral ivory cedar coral maple slate marble amber cedar marble willow slate linen cobalt cedar flint cobalt coral quartz amber birch harbor pebble cedar ivory

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Who will run tech in 2036?

Anyone can tell you who holds power today. Our list names the 50 people we think will shape the industry over the next decade, and makes the case for each.

What you get

All 50 names, with original reporting behind why each one made the list, how they got there, and what they’re doing with the influence.

The names other lists miss: the behind-the-scenes investors, renegade founders and rising executives who move the industry without running the biggest companies.

Reported from inside these companies by the people who cover them daily, not assembled from public rankings.

The names that matter, these are the people Mark Zuckerberg picks up the phone for.