The Power 30

The heart of the lineup among dealmakers consists of people like Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of the private-equity powerhouse Blackstone Group, who just raised nearly $16 billion to buy out struggling firms, and veteran venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who has turned his focus to alternative energy.

As the dealmakers change the financial playing field, a resurgence of regulators will try to make sure small investors don't get trampled. On the case are the Securities and Exchange Commission's Christopher Cox, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and FDIC chief Sheila Bair, who has forced Wal-Mart to cool its heels while she considers the company's bid to get into the banking business.

And just when you thought you knew how the world worked, along comes Bain & Co.'s Fred Reichheld with a new way to find great stocks, and 29-year-old YouTube founder Chad Hurley, who may be the coolest dude to ever make our list. Stay tuned.

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