Power 101

1. Michael Eisner; Chairman., CEO, The Walt Disney Co.; Last year: 5

To millions of kids, power is a lion, perched on a cliff, confidently overseeing a vast but peaceful realm. People in entertainment harbor that image too, only instead of Simba, they see Michael Eisner. The gargantuan Disney empire — from theme parks to a hockey team to a proposed Times Square face-lift — may blanket the planet, but it all lies under the steely gaze of one man.

While Simba rose above sorrow, betrayal, and near death, Eisner followed a similar path to bind his global village together. Last year, his trusted lieutenant Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash. Studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg battled with Eisner and rancorously fled for greener pastures. And Eisner underwent quadruple-bypass surgery. By the end of 1994, showbiz pundits were questioning the 53-year-old's sovereignty. Silly them. With one swoop of his mighty paw, Eisner scooped up the No. 1 network, ABC, for $19 billion, plus good friend Michael Ovitz (the CAA superagent who used to be the most powerful man in Hollywood) to help run it. And, with a breezy sense of hakuna matata, he made it all look ridiculously easy. So easy that, by comparison, Time Warner's subsequently proposed merger with Turner seemed prickly with regulatory problems. And whereas Disney and ABC's stock rose with their announcement, Time Warner's stock languished.

Eisner's kingdom may not remain the biggest, and his arrogance is legend, but Disney is remarkably free of feudal challenges, it's enviably solvent, and all of Eisner's empire bears his imprimatur. The Lion King — which could become the most profitable movie and is already the best-selling video ever — gets the lion's share of credit for last year's $10 billion in revenues. This year the company is No. 1 in movie ticket sales and boasts 7 of the all-time top 10 videos and 14 million Disney Channel subscribers (second only to HBO in pay cable).

Some may criticize Eisner for favoring the bottom line over creativity, but there's little question of his success. With that kind of power, it's no wonder the rest of the world looks small.

2. Gerald Levin; Chairnman, Time Warner

Last year: 3 Age: 56 Credits: Burnished his battered image by masterminding bold acquisition of Turner, creating world's largest media conglomerate; Turner's cash flow is a nice asset. Debits: Stagnating stock prices; willingness to delegate has bred exec infighting; can he or anyone coexist with Ted Turner and John Malone?

3. Rupert Murdoch; Chairman, CEO, News Corp.

Last year: 1 Age: 64 Credits: Two mergers may have knocked media titan out of the top spot, but ruthless rep is secure, thanks to FCC ruling allowing his $9 billion Australian News Corp. to own a U.S. network (Fox). Debits: Until proposed Disney/ABC merger, he had a lock on forming the world's most comprehensive TV-distribution system.