Gates and wife top respect poll

Published on Monday 24 September 2007 00:06

BILL and Melinda Gates have been named the most respected partnership in the world.

The couple topped a poll of 3,000 business leaders in the business, and charity and social enterprise categories.

The British Olympic rowing champions Sir Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent topped the sports category, while rock legends Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards paved the way in the entertainment world.

The survey, by the Leaders in London International Leadership Summit 2007, asked participants to name the most respected partnerships in five categories.

In business, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the founders of Google, were second and the retail giants Phillip and Tina Green came in third.

Bono and Bob Geldof, two of the world's best-known Africa fundraisers, came second in the charity and social enterprise category, followed by father and daughter duo Michael and Emily Eavis, the organisers of the Glastonbury music festival.

In politics, the former United States president Bill Clinton and his wife, and current Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary, were named the most respected couple, followed by the former prime minister Baroness Thatcher and the former US president Ronald Reagan. Only one in ten voted for the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and his predecessor, Tony Blair.

Tiger Woods and his caddie, Steve Williams, were runners-up in the sport category, while Ant and Dec were second, ahead of David and Victoria Beckham, among the entertainers.