‘The art of communication,” James C. Humes, a speechwriter for five presidents, once said, “is the language of leadership.” And an art it is. In today’s fave-this, like-that social media environment, a chief executive of a Fortune 500 company can share a status update from a head of state 6,000 miles away and then respond, directly and in real time, to a tough question from one of his customers—all in the span of a minute, and all in a public forum for the world to see. (Talk about a high-wire act.) Not every executive has dared to give Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or LinkedIn a try. For some business leaders, though, socializing is part of the job. In our inaugural Fortune Social Register, we pick the most experienced, active, influential, and followed members of the business community. Call them socialites; call them social butterflies. Whatever the term, we can all agree that it’s something to tweet about.
The Fortune Social Register: Follow the master Twitter feed of our editor-curated list of the most impactful businesspeople on social media.
"THE DATA NERD"
Bill Gates
Social activity: 3
Social network: 10
Business influence: 10
The Microsoft co-founder has always been a technophile, and it’s no surprise that he’s an active Twitter user. But he shines when tweeting figures about the philanthropic issues that are near to his heart, from rural poverty to urban education.
Photo: Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"AND YOU GET A TWEET, AND YOU GET A TWEET"
Oprah Winfrey
Social activity: 8
Social network: 10
Business influence: 10
Chief executive of the cable television network that bears her name, Winfrey demonstrates that she can excite her community without the need for a daytime talk show. Call it a #lifeclass in staying relevant.
Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen—Getty Images
"THE BOULEVARDIER"
Richard Branson
Social activity: 7
Social network: 10
Business influence: 8
It comes as no surprise that the social accounts of free-spirit Virgin Group co-founder Richard Branson are chockablock with spaceship riding, deep-sea diving, and—wait, was that a picture of him kite-surfing with a naked model on his back?
Photo: Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images
"THE ZEN MASTER"
Russell Simmons
Social activity: 7
Social network: 8
Business influence: 8
They called comedian Henny Youngman “King of the One-Liners.” You could call the Def Jam co-founder the same for his meditative tweets. “Needing nothing attracts everything,” he writes. With more than 3 million followers, he’s right.
Photo: Kevin Winter—Getty Images
"WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE"
Martha Stewart
Social activity: 10
Social network: 9
Business influence: 5
There’s only one person on this list who can credibly tweet out a photo of a mushroom to wide acclaim. Whether on the farm or backstage waiting for her cue, the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia chairwoman knows her audience.
Photo: Kevin Mazur—Getty Images
"THE TEAM PLAYER"
Vijay Mallya
Social activity: 4
Social network: 7
Business influence: 5
The UB Group chairman lives life in the fast lane—literally. He’s principal of the Sahara Force India Formula 1 racing team, and his social channels track his team’s progress in and out of the pit. All that’s missing is the burning rubber.
Photo: Saurabh Das—AP
"IT'S NATURAL, DAHLING"
Arianna Huffington
Social activity: 9
Social network: 9
Business influence: 7
According to the president and editor-in-chief of AOL’s Huffington Post Media Group, there are better ways to sleep, eat, work, converse, and vacation. Follow Huffington and you’ll get plenty of advice on how to live the good life.
Photo: Valerie Macon—Getty Images
"MR. REAL TALK"
Mark Cuban
Social activity: 7
Social network: 8
Business influence: 6
Three words: Pulls. No. Punches. The AXS TV chief executive, Dallas Mavericks owner, and serial entrepreneur has no problem sharing his opinions (and the successes of his myriad companies) with the masses.
Photo: Michael Hickey—Getty Images
"LEFT BRAIN, RIGHT BRAIN"
Padmasree Warrior
Social activity: 5
Social network: 6
Business influence: 4
She’s known for her prominent role in technology, but Cisco’s chief technology officer is all about the arts in her social efforts, from Banksy to biker jackets to—well, binary code. (Two out of three ain’t bad.)
Photo: Aidan Crawley—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"THE TECH WATCHMAN"
Tim O'Reilly
Social activity: 5
Social network: 9
Business influence: 2
If you’re in the technology business, it feels as if the O’Reilly Media CEO is always watching. And he is. Follow him for measured thoughts on business models, industry culture, and alpha geekery.
Photo: David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"CABINET OF CURIOSITIES"
Evan Williams
Social activity: 2
Social network: 7
Business influence: 6
Any of Twitter’s three co-founders are sufficiently socially popular to make this list, but Williams’s updates strike the best balance of personal and interesting. “I dreamt Jack and Diane broke up,” he once wrote. Twitter: still a small town.
Photo: Brad Barket—Getty Images
"REIGNING RETWEETER"
Marissa Mayer
Social activity: 1
Social network: 6
Business influence: 9
Yahoo’s chief executive makes this list but not because of her own updates, which are infrequent and almost always through purple-colored glasses. Rather, it’s her heavy use of retweets, which subtly reveal what she might be thinking.
Photo: Brian Ach/Getty Images
"FIVE TWEETS"
Warren Buffett
Social activity: 1
Social network: 4
Business influence: 10
“Warren is in the house,” read the first tweet from Berkshire Hathaway’s high-profile chief executive, and only four more have come since. Still, when the Oracle of Omaha has something to say, it’s usually worth a listen.
Photo: Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"MR. ENTREPRENEUR"
Steve Case
Social activity: 9
Social network: 3
Business influence: 3
The AOL co-founder and Revolution chairman brings entrepreneurial energy to his social channels, demonstrating the breadth of his interests. With more than 25,000 tweets under his belt, he’s rarely shy about sharing them.
Photo: Patrick T. Fallon—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"NEW WONK ON THE BLOCK"
Mohamed El-Erian
Social activity: 8
Social network: 2
Business influence: 7
The Allianz chief economic adviser and former Pimco chief executive loves getting his hands dirty—with data. Follow him to ride the roller coaster of the global markets, with occasional cameos by his favorite sports teams.
Photo: Patrick T. Fallon—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"THE MAN WITH A PLAN"
T. Boone Pickens
Social activity: 4
Social network: 4
Business influence: 4
“Once a cowboy, always a cowboy.” The oil and gas pioneer brings his moxie to social media by interspersing energy policy with throwback pictures from his early days. If you’re lucky, you could be on the receiving end of a Boone-ism.
Photo: Andrew Harrer—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"HE'S GIGA"
Om Malik
Social activity: 10
Social network: 6
Business influence: 1
The True Ventures partner and GigaOm founder may take you on a hike to a beautiful California vista or on a self-driving car trip into the future. As long as you don’t mind his media musings, he’s happy you’re along for the ride.
Photo: JD Lasica
"BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT"
Sallie Krawcheck
Social activity: 5
Social network: 3
Business influence: 1
The keys to success. How to balance work and life. How to overcome career hurdles. Follow the former Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney chief and you’ll learn how one of the most accomplished women on Wall Street got that way.
Photo: Jin Lee—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP"
Michael Dell
Social activity: 4
Social network: 5
Business influence: 3
All Dell, all the time. You can’t fault the Dell founder and CEO for sticking to his guns, but the impresario of the newly private computer maker does have something to brag about. As he tweeted in May, “I am self employed.”
Photo: Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
"THE ONE WITH A PORCELAIN ADDICTION"
Tory Burch
Social activity: 1
Social network: 7
Business influence: 6
Summits, dinners, gala events: Following the fashion and lifestyle fixture is a starry affair. Then again, it’s not hard to figure out why Burch embodies her namesake brand so effectively and why so many people aspire to that life.
Photo: D Dipasupil—Getty Images
"GROUND CONTROL TO MUSK, ELON"
Elon Musk
Social activity: 2
Social network: 4
Business influence: 9
The Tesla Motors CEO and former PayPal president once stared into the future. It blinked. Musk’s social updates combine the frankness of Mark Cuban with the adventurousness of Richard Branson. (No wonder so many want to be his co-pilot.)
Photo: ChinaFotoPress ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images
"HIZZONER"
Michael Bloomberg
Social activity: 3
Social network: 5
Business influence: 8
Like the former New York City mayor himself, Bloomberg’s social feeds are a little stiff. But look past the bow tie and starched collar and you’ll find worthy nuggets on climate change, urban renewal, health policy, and more.
Photo: Richard Drew—Pool/Getty Images
"READS BETWEEN THE LINES"
Marc Andreessen
Social activity: 10
Social network: 1
Business influence: 9
From the South Park–style avatar on down, the storied Silicon Valley investor makes sure that you don’t take him too seriously. Then, once you’re fully disarmed, he’ll slip you cutting commentary on the tech industry and Internet life.
Photo: David Maung—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"BUSINESS HACKS"
Jeff Weiner
Social activity: 2
Social network: 5
Business influence: 7
LinkedIn’s CEO is a quiet giant, updating his feeds with measured observations on leadership and careers. To follow him is to take the long view: “Trust equals consistency over time,” he wrote in May. “There’s no shortcut for either.”
Photo: David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"HE'S NO APPRENTICE"
Lord Sugar
Social activity: 8
Social network: 8
Business influence: 2
You can almost feel the energy that the Amshold Group chairman brings to his social channels. A dance routine on television? “Rubbish.” A 10-day cold he’s been suffering? “Horrible.” This Lord doesn’t need sugar; he’s sweet enough.
Photo: Anthony Devlin—PA Wire/Press Association Images/AP
"FIREBRAND"
John Legere
Social activity: 6
Social network: 2
Business influence: 2
T-Mobile’s chief executive has been likened to a court jester, saying what others in the telecom industry are only thinking. His social feeds don’t disappoint. In his own words: “Because that’s how we roll.”
Photo: Steve Sands—WireImage/Getty Images
"SOCIAL BUTTERFLY"
Ekaterina Walter
Social activity: 6
Social network: 1
Business influence: 1
To follow the Branderati CMO is to be inspired. Walter’s updates emphasize bringing “passion,” “dreams,” and even “smiles” to business dealings; she then backs them up with links about companies who lead differently and succeed.
Photo: Randy Kepple/Courtesy Ekaterina Walter
"RAGING BULL"
Nouriel Roubini
Social activity: 3
Social network: 2
Business influence: 4
He’s been called Dr. Doom for his market predictions, but the well-known economist presents information that’s a bit more nuanced than that. Which industry is up? Which country is down? Follow Roubini for real talk.
Photo: Jin Lee—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"DESIGN MIND"
John Maeda
Social activity: 6
Social network: 3
Business influence: 5
To follow Maeda is to learn how a designer interprets the world around him. The Kleiner Perkins design partner and former RISD president presents his audience with observations that pique interest and give pause.
Photo: Michael Nagle—Bloomberg/Getty Images
"TWEET BY WIRE"
Chris Anderson
Social activity: 9
Social network: 1
Business influence: 3
The 3D Robotics chief executive, former Wired editor, and author of The Long Tail will give you the lowdown on drones, DIY, and the defense industry. For a sense of wide-eyed wonder, follow him.