April 1, 2017 / Fortune Asia / Volume 175 / Number 5 / THE WORLD’S 50 GREATEST LEADERS 2017

SECTION

FEATURES

The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders
By GEOFF COLVIN
In an age of radical transparency, knockout leadership gets harder to maintain. But it’s
out there-and we’ve found it in the 50 we salute here.
PAGE NO. 26

THE WORLD’S 50 GREATEST LEADERS
No. 1: Theo Epstein
By TOM VERDUCCI
The president of the Chicago Cubs is our MVP this year. Here’s what losing taught him
about building a World Series--winning team.
28

THE WORLD’S 50 GREATEST LEADERS
The List
By ERIKA FRY, MATT HEIMER, and the FORTUNE staff
This year’s most inspiring and important leaders, bridge builders, and problem solvers.
31

THE WORLD’S 50 GREATEST LEADERS
You Don’t Know Jack
By ADAM LASHINSKY
Alibaba’s Jack Ma is famous as one of China’s richest men. But the e-commerce mogul and his company remain a mystery to many. For his next act, Ma plans to empower entrepreneurs
worldwide, taking his place as a global leader.
42

Palantir vs. the Pentagon
By STEVEN BRILL
Tech unicorn Palantir has a product that may save soldiers’ lives and millions in taxpayer dollars. What it can’t get is a fair shot to sell it. Inside one company’s quest to bust through the military-industrial complex.
50

DEPARTMENTS

FOREWORD
5 The Greatest Assignment
Business has changed dramatically, but the qualities necessary to report on it-honesty,
accuracy, fearlessness揺ave not. As Fortune’s 18th editor, I promise to uphold them.
By CLIFTON LEAF

BRIEFING

7 The Business Guide to Europe’s Wild Year
The next 12 months could remake the EU, and the rest of the world financial order with it.
By VIVIENNE WALT

10 Lunch Is Dead
Younger consumers are opting for quick, fast snacks over a proper midday meal.
By JOHN KELL

11 Corporate Scientists Go to Washington
On Earth Day, industry types will hit the streets of D.C.-just don’t call it political.
By ERIKA FRY

12 Next Up for FDA Approval: Fewer FDA Rules
But not all Big Pharma executives are on board with the streamlining.
By SY MUKHERJEE

13 Tourism Woes Threaten Retail
A projected slump in the number of travelers to the U.S. will slam high-end shops.
By PHIL WAHBA

14 Executive Read
From Sheryl Sandberg’s treatise on resilience to Michael Bloomberg’s capitalist manifesto on climate change, we review spring’s top titles.

FOCUS

TECH
16 Data Centers Go Exotic
Some companies are getting creative with their server farms in an effort to cut energy costs and enhance security.
By JONATHAN VANIAN
Plus: Brainstorming with Nest CTO Yoky Matsuoka in San Francisco.

VENTURE
18 How I Got Started
Arthur Gensler’s architecture firm is now the largest on the planet. But it began with just three people drafting on spare doors.
Interview by DINAH ENG

INVEST
21 Hidden Treasures or Money Pits?
Languishing ever since their government bailout, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac remain a fixer-upper of a bet.
By MICHELLE CELARIER

FORUM
23 A Boom With a View
In today’s gloomy political climate, it’s worth remembering that some tech startups really are making the world a brighter place.
By ERIN GRIFFITH

24 Disrupted
Here’s what happens when microtargeting machines begin to learn on their own.
By DAN LYONS

BACK PAGE
LAST BYTE
64 It’s Getting Harder to Hire
A statistical look at the shrinking unemployment rate and the corresponding rise in competition for qualified workers in various industries.
Text by BRIAN O’KEEFE; graphics by NICOLAS RAPP

ON THE COVER: JACK MA PHOTOGRAPHED BY TONY LAW

[IMAGES]

No. 19: Samantha Bee
MA: REDUX PICTURES

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