Cover Credit: Marco Grob—Trunk Archive; Platon for TIME; Martin Schoeller—August; Justin Stephens for TIME; Marco Grob for TIME; Platon; Adam Krause for TIME; Peter Hapak for TIME 
Cover Credit: Marco Gob / Trunk Archive; Platon for TIME; Martin Schoeller / August; Justin Stephens for TIME; Marco Grob for TIME / Platon; Martin Schoeller for TIME; Adam Krause for TIME; Peter Hapak for TIME
Cover Credit: Marco Grob—Trunk Archive; Platon for TIME; Martin Schoeller—August; Justin Stephens for TIME; Marco Grob for TIME; Platon; Adam Krause for TIME; Peter Hapak for TIME
Cover Credit: Marco Grob-Trunk Archive (1, 10); Platon for TIME (2, 16); Martin Schoeller-August (3, 7, 17); Justin Stephens for TIME (4); Marco Grob for TIME (5, 8, 13, 14); Platon (6); Martin Schoeller for TIME (9, 12); Adam Krause for TIME (11); Peter Hapak for TIME (15)
Meet the most influential people in the world. They are artists and activists, reformers and researchers, heads of state and captains of industry. Their ideas spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution. Welcome to this year's TIME 100
How the U.S.'s economic strength overseas prevents it from facing its debt crisis
The Afghan relics that have survived improbable odds
