Satoru Iwata, 49

CEO, Nintendo, Tokyo

From the continued popularity of the Nintendo DS to a doubling of sales of the Wii, Iwata proved that people will still spend money on what they love. In a recession, they’re just more choosy. “What affects the game business the most is makers’ ability to introduce products that surprise consumers, rather than only economic conditions themselves,” Iwata told a Nikkei reporter. His next goal: “We need to further expand the concept of what a video game is…. We will redefine games to include anything bringing people joy, including music, cameras, and health-­management features.”