Justin Trudeau wasn't even technically prime minister yet when Forbes named him one of the world's most powerful people.
Trudeau ranks 69th on the magazine's power list for 2015, which was released Wednesday, the very same day he was sworn into office.
He placed ahead of high-profile people like billionaire Carl Icahn (70th), World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Margaret Chan (73rd) and U.S. Republican candidate Donald Trump (72nd).
In other words ...
In naming Trudeau, Forbes noted his successful leadership of the Liberal party in last month's election, his lineage as the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, and the fact that he will be the second-youngest person ever to hold the PM job.
Forbes considered four factors in drawing up its list:
- Power over many people.
- Control over large financial resources.
- Power in a number of spheres.
- Active use of authority.
Forbes editors ranked people based on those considerations and then those numbers were "averaged into a composite score."
Trudeau's inclusion marks the first time that a Canadian politician has appeared on the list. Former prime minister Stephen Harper was previously shortlisted, but never made the cut, Global News reported.
Forbes contributor David Ewalt told the network that Trudeau gained points for winning a majority and for speaking up in global issues.
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