The shift in Forbes' rankings seems to come from a perceived increase in Putin's use of his power on the world stage; offering a home to NSA leaker Edward Snowden, for example, or his hard line approach to Syria talks.
The Medes (/miËdz/, Old Persian MÄda-, Ancient Greek: Î¼á¿Î´Î¿Î¹, Hebrew: ×Ö¸×Ö·×â) were an ancient Iranian people who lived in an area known as Media (northwestern Iran) and who spoke the Median language.
The Empire of the Medes In the second half of the 7th century BC, the Medes gained their independence and were united by a dynasty. The kings who established the Mede Empire are generally recognized to be Phraortes and his son Cyaxares.