By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, February 4: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been named seventh most admired man in the world, according to an online poll conducted by YouGov, an international Internet based market research firm.
Around 25000 people from 23 countries voted in the poll, conducted in December 2014.
The 79-year-old Tibetan Nobel laureate was ranked 7th in the World’s Most Admired Men and ranked high in the list of many European countries. The Tibetan leader, known over the world as a champion of peace, topped the list in France and Sweden, second in Norway and Germany and third in Denmark.
The list also features US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Physicist Stephen Hawking, Pope Francis, Prince William, former US President George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, soccer player David Beckham and Christiano Ronaldo and movie actors Jackie Chan, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who is associated with many humanitarian causes, has been named the World’s Most Admired Men, 2015. US President Barack Obama ranked second and Chinese President Xi Jinping on third. According to YouGov, Xi ranked high only in China and do not feature in the list of many other countries.
Among the women, movie actor Angelina Jolie topped the list. Also featuring in the women’s list are Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Myanmar Politician and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, singer Celine Dion, Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles, movie actors Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson, US first lady Michelle Obama and Indian Politician Sonia Gandhi.
