Everyone is watching elections. I’m watching billionaires.
We need to understand who holds the power
If you want to understand where power in AI really sits in 2025, don’t look only to parliaments or polling stations. Look at the invitations lists.
For example, in September
Sam Altman and Jensen Huang were at Windsor Castle with the King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales and Donald Trump.
Elon Musk sat with Trump at Charlie Kirk’s memorial.
Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman and Sergey Brin all sat at Trump’s State Dining Room table.
These aren’t just photo ops. They are signals. Signals about who gets heard, who influences (or sets) the agenda, and who will be allowed to shape the rules of AI.
That’s why I’ve started tracking it. I call it the AI Power Brokers League. Every month, I update the scoreboard: points for every Prime Minister, President, or Royal they meet. Different encounters earn different weightings - with higher scores for in-person and private meetings.
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So far in 2025, Jensen Huang is far ahead with 123 points. But Altman is close behind at 96.
If you’re curious about why this matters, then next week (Thursday 9 October) I am hosting a 15-minute power session: Meet the AI Power Brokers. I’ll unpack what these encounters really mean: how they shift policy, what signals they send to markets, and why it matters for you. It’s free to attend and you can register here.
PS. Want to learn about AI agents (there’s a really good reason you need to know this stuff) and AI search (get more from Perplexity and other tools) then book to attend one of my upcoming sessions - or join the AI Edit - they are included in your membership.