The ability to move markets or shape ideas and policies. The clout to affect the price of a security or the structure of a deal. These are the attributes that define the people who hold sway in the world of finance -- those who make up Bloomberg Markets' second annual 50 Most Influential list.

Corporate Power Brokers: Warren Buffett
CEO, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Count on Buffett, 82, to frame new financial controversies with old-line value-investing rules. As Facebook shares slid after the IPO, he said: "You shouldn't buy a farm because you think you're going to sell it the next day for more money."