Oprah No. 1 on Forbes' list of celebrities

ATLANTA — Media maven Oprah Winfrey is the biggest of big shots in the universe of celebrities, as Forbes (July 2) sees it. With two reality shows in the works for this fall, Oprah ranks at the top of the magazine's annual "Celebrity 100" list. She's in first place not only in sheer influence but in wealth and annual pay.

Behind Oprah is golf great Tiger Woods, followed in the top five by musician Madonna, the Rolling Stones rock group and actor Brad Pitt.

The concept of "celebrity" covers a wide field, according to Forbes. Its list includes real estate magnate Donald Trump, 19th; former President Clinton, 55th; former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, 67th; and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, 88th. And lest you be concerned, Paris Hilton is not on the list.

Google chiefs get it done

On firmer footing, perhaps, is the Business 2.0 (July) ranking of "50 who matter now," or as it says, those "who know how to get it done." In the No. 1 spot are the entrepreneurs who created Google: CEO Eric Schmidt and co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. "For consumers, Google is one of the world's most beloved companies," says Business 2.0. "For competitors, it's a force to be feared." The trio has steered Google past $10 billion in revenue with nary a financial hiccup.

Among the top 10 are Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs; the "new masters of the universe," those who collectively drive the private equity phenomenon; Michael Moritz, managing director of Sequoia Capital; Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm; media mogul Rupert Murdoch; Yahoo President Susan Decker; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers; and Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe.

No mercy for private debt

Third World countries, like everyone else, must borrow money from time to time. But what happens when poor and mismanaged countries, often headed by authoritarian regimes, fall behind on their payments? Foreign Policy (July/August) says they may be able to get some debt forgiveness from Western governments and multinational institutions. But that's not the case with private investors and businesses.

From Argentina to Zambia, private investment firms are more likely to snatch up the poor world's debt rather than forgive it, FP says. And private lenders are not gentle about it, the magazine adds. "To turn a buck, they sue, harass and otherwise claw their way into making debtor states pay." But FP says there's another side to this coin: "They're only doing what the international financial system can't — holding corrupt and irresponsible regimes to account."

Rich is $5 million today

Thinking of retiring rich? You'll need roughly $5 million in today's world, says Fortune (June 25) in a special retirement edition. "Figuring out what you'll need requires educated guesswork," says the magazine, adding that these days that comes to about $5 million — not long ago you only needed $1 million.

"Using a 4 percent withdrawal rate, that kitty would get you a hefty $200,000 a year, which should be plenty to live richly." On a more serious side for the vast majority who won't accumulate $5 million, Fortune offers a menu of articles on stocks, mutual funds, real estate, taxes and planning.

Some lose in Pottermania

Harry Potter fans are excited about the seventh and final book in J. K. Rowling's hit series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which lands worldwide July 21. And with the fifth movie due out in weeks and the recent announcement of an Orlando theme-park attraction that could cost a half-billion dollars, Pottermania is at an all-time high.

But if Harry Potter is a bonanza for its author, it's not a windfall for the hangers-on who supply Potter accessories, BusinessWeek (July 2) says. "What should be a pot of gold for Harry's business partners is turning into an empty cauldron for many of them," the magazine says. It turns out that, at least for some in the wizarding world, it's tough to make money out of magic.

Tom Walker writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.