The New York Observer's Power 150 (Part 3)

Co-founder, CEO, Gilt Groupe

Gilt Groupe prospered quickly and steadily with its incorporation of tech start-up savvy and fashion elitism (it's still members only). The company more than doubled its revenue this year and is only set to keep growing in 2011.

Co-owner, executive vice president, Koch Industries

He may not have beat out Mayor Bloomberg on this list, but he did bump him out of the title of "richest billionaire in New York." And to hear The New Yorker and The New York Times tell it, we also have Mr. Koch to thank for the irresistible rise of a little something called the Tea Party.

Managing editor, The Wall Street Journal

Has it really been so bad since Rupert Murdoch bought The Journal? Mr. Thomson has made the paper into something more like a general-interest broadsheet. Sure, those long stories are gone and the Greater New York section could be, well, greater, but it's not as if The Journal has turned into the Post.

President, Barclays

The British were not wild about the American's $23 million bonus in 2006, but they'll have to get used to him. Early next year, Mr. Diamond will officially be promoted to the head of Barclays. Britain's General Union said it was "insulting and divisive" to put an investment banker at the giant's helm in the wake of the financial crisis. Mr. Diamond, using the extra British vowel, said he was "honoured."

Hip-Hop Mogul

In 2005, Jay-Z was already bragging, "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man." That's now less a taunt than it is a statement of fact. The only business mogul to rap on Kanye West's latest album has remained a relevant musician while commanding a growing empire worth almost half a billion dollars.

Chairman and CEO, AOL

Remember the early days, when you had to listen to that horrible dial-up tone and watch the AOL man run in place for 10 minutes before you could get online? With Mr. Armstrong at the helm, AOL is gearing up to become the Internet's content kings in 2011.

Founder, SAC Capital Advisors

This self-made billionaire, one of America's major art collectors, likes to keep quiet--he's given only a handful of published interviews in his 30-year career--but soon he may have to start talking: In the government's crackdown on insider trading, Mr. Cohen's name keeps coming up.

President, Silverstein Properties

After a decade of trying, Mr. Silverstein is finally building two office towers at the World Trade Center site. But let's not forget that he also owns property across the city, including the classic postmodern Americas Tower at Sixth Avenue and 45th Street.

Editor of Page Six, New York Post

Transitioning from Britain's Life & Style to Page Six couldn't have been easy for Ms. Smith. Calling the position at the helm of the Post's gossip section her "dream job," Smith took over for Richard Johnson, who led Page Six for 25 years.

Editor, Vanity Fair

Director Brian Grazer called Mr. Carter the "king of New York," and it's hard to disagree with him. Topping Vanity Fair's masthead since 1992, he serves as an eternal reminder that not only is print not dead but it has a fabulous hairdresser.

Publisher, The New York Times; chairman, New York Times Company

The country's, if not the world's, most influential newspaper will introduce its pay model in 2011, which means Mr. Sulzberger's job is not at the moment an easy one. But if we've learned anything from the slow death of print, it is that there's no stopping The New York Times.

Chairman and CEO, Telmex, America Movil and Grupo Carso

The world's richest human being may not be big on philanthropy, but he does have a hand in a considerable amount of Mexico's businesses, not to mention The New York Times. He's gained a reputation for conservative investments and an all-around eccentricity that only adds to his charm.

He may not be a native with his face on billboards, like his partner Jay-Z, but it is Mr. Prokhorov who emodies a new Russian elite swarming the city.

CEO, Island Capital Group

His name means "wolf" in Hungarian, and Mr. Farkas has been a voracious real estate operator, serving as Dubai World's man in Manhattan and cashing out before the Emiratis admitted they couldn't pay their debts. With his former tormentor-turned-associate in the governor's office, Mr. Farkas has interesting times ahead.

Chairman and CEO, Verizon

Mr. Seidenberg has been at the head of Verizon since 2000 and built a business empire by combining the assets of Verizon's predecessors, Bell Atlantic, GTE and MCI. Way fewer dropped calls than AT&T, too.

Director, Citigroup

The former state superintendent of banks and longtime inamorata of Mayor Bloomberg had something of a coming-out in 2010, campaigning for favored candidates and musing aloud about her own political ambitions. Don't be surprised if in a couple years you hear the words "senator," "governor" or "mayor" before her name.

Junior U.S. Senator, New York

Following a rocky appointment process and some early stumbles, Senator Gillibrand weathered the nagging notion that she was "vulnerable" and won her first statewide race with a resounding 63 percent of the vote. At the tender age of 44, and with the full-throated backing of Senator Charles Schumer and the White House, she is poised to be New York's junior senator for a very long time.

Chairman, Related Companies

Perhaps the single most active developer during the market's downturn, Mr. Ross builds mega-hotels and amusement parks while others put up "For Sale" signs. He'll probably snatch up those properties, too. The Miami Dolphins, which he owns, aren't so bad either.

Publisher, Huffington Post

Say what you will about the Huffington Post's dubious use of Wikipedia citation, Ms. Huffington upended every convention of political journalism with the meteoric rise of her flagship blog. Blame it on that exotic accent.

Commissioner, New York City Police Department

Well, those stop-and-frisks are one way of expressing power. But despite some grumbling, Mr. Kelly has steadily decreased crime in the city, all the while improving the general image of the boys (and girls) in blue.

Director, New York City Department of City Planning

She has worked to develop neighborhoods from Jamaica to Bed Stuy, improved commuter rails and held developers to strict design standards to keep New York beautiful. This is no small task. "Burden" sounds about right.

Co-owner, New York Yankees

This year, in the wake of his father's passing, Mr. Steinbrenner hung on to Derek Jeter and banned an intoxicated Lady Gaga from the Yankees clubhouse. Two signs that the Yanks are in good hands.

U.S. Attorney, New York Southern District

Though he's fairly new on the job, Mr. Bharara is already been compared to Rudy Giuliani, if not Eliot Ness himself. Most folks think his recent insider-trading probe is just a warm-up.

Founder and president, Paulson & Co.

Few people had the savvy for shorting the mortgage market ahead of the housing crisis--the so-called Greatest Trade Ever--but Mr. Paulson made a profit by gambling on other people's future misery. Looking out for the next generation of clever investors, he donated $20 million to N.Y.U.'s Stern School of Business in 2010.

Senior U.S. Senator, New York

The bike-riding Brooklyn Senator missed out on his bid for Senate majority leader--thanks to a lucky draw in Nevada by his friend, Harry Reid--but Mr. Schumer still has as much influence as anyone in the upper house. Mr. Reid rewarded his loyalty with a plum post managing the party's politics, where he'll try to stop the Republican wave from sweeping over the Senate. But the native son still prides himself on fixing the potholes, too, so don't expect him to forget about those pool parties on the Williamsburg waterfront.

Chairman and CEO, Google

Sure, in some ways, before Google, we were slightly more productive at work, but it was also a lot harder to find videos of cats doing cute things. Google is like the telephone: It is hard to imagine life before it existed being any fun at all.

President & CEO, Allen & Company; Director, the Coca-Cola Company

Mr. Allen's investment bank caters to media companies old and new, like News Corp., IAC, Disney and Google. Mr. Allen is now extending the range of his influence into the world of sports.

New York Attorney General-elect

The attorney general-elect has big shoes to fill: His two predecessors have both been elected governor. The brainiest member of the State Senate with a reputation as a savvy political strategist, Mr. Schneiderman was a force behind the reform of the notorious Rockefeller drug laws.

Co-founder, Tishman Speyer

He didn't keep his hands on Stuy Town, but that's small change for the man who owns the Chrysler Building and 30 Rock. Plus, he and his one-time relative, Daniel Tishman, were the biggest contributors to the Cuomo campaign. What will they do when they have the ear of the governor?

CEO, Morgan Stanley

Mr. Gorman surprised everyone this year when he spoke out against Wall Street bonuses. In December, he told 500 managing directors that he would "personally escort" anyone out of the building if they spoke to the press about the firm's compensation levels.

Publisher and owner, New York Daily News; editor-in-chief, U.S. News & World Report

Even during the sudden exit of Daily News editor in chief Martin Dunn (Mr. Zuckerman hired his replacement three hours later), and amid the general struggles of the newspaper industry, the longtime publisher of the city's most widely read daily amped up the paper's gossip game and political coverage.

Chairman & CEO, Trump Organization

It's hard to talk about power without thinking of Donald Trump. He owns property all across the city; he is the most famous of all real estate moguls; and he has been talking seriously about running for president in 2012. His brand only gets bigger.

Co-founder, Union Square Ventures

He had the foresight to realize Foursquare and Twitter were more than just fads. By investing in Web 2.0, he's been a leader in the world's most lucrative businesses. 

Chairman, Rubenstein Communications, Inc.

The public-relations master behind the city's most powerful names in real estate and politics, the so-called dean of damage control is the go-to guy when something goes wrong. And a lot tends to go wrong in real estate and politics.

Founder, Polo Ralph Lauren

Fashion rides the crests and waves of fads and trends, but Mr. Lauren has remained remarkably consistent, and relevant, for the better part of four decades. You just can't beat a big comfortable Polo sweater.

Executive Editor, The New York Times

No matter the media debacle--from burning Korans to iPads--the ultimate Timesman is there with an aphorism, like "the freedom to publish means the freedom not to publish," that makes everyone see the light. The Times could go entirely electronic, or even print on colorful edible paper, and Mr. Keller would be there to assure readers it was the right move and not a moment too soon.

Chairman and Executive Officer, BlackRock

Laurence Fink makes $22.7 million a year, but that doesn't make him ostentatious. His $12 trillion BlackRock doesn't use private jets, and Mr. Fink's appreciation for commercial jets and trains is well known. Mr. Fink's most peculiar characteristic may be that he's remained quite obscure despite his high esteem in finance.

Investor and Philanthropist

He has invested in everything from licorice to comic books on the way to a fortune of $11 billion. That and a general man-about-townism has at various times also made him one of the city's most eligible bachelors.

Former President; Secretary of State

As Bill perfects the art of post-presidential philanthropy and influence-wielding, Hillary trots the globe as the caretaker of American power. Despite her disavowal of any future plans to hold public office, chances are that the Clintons' public saga will continue indefinitely.

CEO, Partnership for New York City

A powerful supporter of the city's arts and culture, she heads an organization that has raised more than $100 million for special projects like the East River Science Park. She has worked with the mayor on sustainability programs that, among other measures, attempt to cut back on traffic congestion in the city. Good luck with that, Ms. Wylde.

Chairman, Co-founder, Blackstone Group

The outspoken buyout king had to apologize for equating President Obama's tax proposals last August to Hitler's invading Poland! With his name on the library here, Mr. Schwarzman will be invading Paris in 2011 to better manage his global business.

Speaker, New York State Assembly

Elected to the Assembly in 1976, Mr. Silver has been presiding over half of Albany's legislative dysfunction since 1994. Will he be an ally to Governor-elect Cuomo, or liken him to the last three men he branded "dictator governors"? Mr. Cuomo seems to have extended an olive branch, for now.

First deputy mayor of New York City

Not just Mayor Bloomberg's right-hand woman, she's also the man's publicist, policy maker and all-around champion. If Mr. Bloomberg lost his keys, she'd likely come up from behind with a spare set.

CEO, Citigroup

New York loves to love Mr. Dimon, and everyone loves to hate Mr. Blankfein, but that's left old Mr. Pandit in a no man's land. Lucky for him, Citi just announced that the U.S. Treasury has sold off its last stake in the bank, which means Citi and its chief are free to start strutting--or try to.

Chairman and CEO, Advance Publications; chairman, Condé Nast

Perhaps you've heard of The New Yorker and Vanity Fair? It's been a rough year for Condé Nast, but even after a 25 percent budget cut in late 2009, Mr. Newhouse pulled his print kingdom out of the red and increased his glossy magazines' presence on the Internet. Cities change and economies collapse, but Vogue is forever.

Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

He has a sign in his office that reads "No Whiners," but who says power means being nice? Under his guidance, JPMorgan Chase is well on its way to becoming a $3 trillion business.

Governor-elect, New York State

New York State's third governor in as many years seems like the right guy for the job. But based on the wacky precedent of the past three administrations, including David Paterson's recent pondering over whether Albany is governable at all, he has a lot of work ahead of him.

Chairman and CEO, Goldman Sachs

Whether he's the savior of Wall Street or, as Forbes says, its "most outrageous CEO," Mr. Blankfein has not only kept Goldman Sachs afloat in the face of a major recession, he's also turned a profit.

Chief executive officer, News Corp.

The undisputed king of New York media, from the lofty Journal to the lowly Post. Mr. Murdoch's big spend on The Daily iPad app also makes him a new media titan, adding to his swagger.

A joke going around when Ted Turner ran CNN had it that he'd been elected president but turned the job down because he didn't want to give up any of his power. As the local press corps is atwitter again over the possibility that Mayor Michael Bloomberg will give up Gracie Mansion for a shot at the White House, the old line seems apt.

Mr. Bloomberg probably won't run for president. The reason, he jokes, is that a short, divorced Jewish billionaire would never win. But the real reason is something Mr. Turner would have appreciated: giving up Gracie Mansion for the White House would be a demotion.