AGE: 65
OCCUPATION: CEO of Toyota
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 2
PRO: Toyota is now the top-seller in North America, and it's nearly overtaken GM in global vehicle sales. It's rolled out a highly successful fleet of hybrids (headed by the Prius, America's No. 1 hybrid) while competing hard in the large truck market with the Tundra.
CON: Toyota's facing weak demand at home. Meanwhile, the dollar's recently been down in double digits against the yen — and for every yen it drops, Toyota loses 2% in operating profit. A watchdog group claims that Toyota's green image is just a veneer, because the company so vociferously opposes fuel-economy standards and legislation.