It's not an award, or an honor. It doesn't come with a cash prize, or even a fruit basket.
And yet, earning the designation of Time Person of the Year is one of the most notable achievements any person in the public eye can garner.
Time Magazine has named a Person (or People) of the Year annually since 1927 — and on the eve of the 98th edition of one of the most important magazine covers of the year, we scoured the best sports betting sites to find which newsmakers are favored to earn the distinction.
Here's a look at the latest 2024 Time Person of the Year odds:
Time Person of the Year Odds 2024
(Odds courtesy FanDuel Canada as of Oct. 7)
| Person | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | -130 | 56.52% | $7.69 |
| Kamala Harris | -125 | 55.56% | $8 |
| Artificial Intelligence* | +340 | 22.73% | $34 |
| Satoshi Nakamoto | +430 | 18.87% | $43 |
| Yulia Navalnaya | +430 | 18.87% | $43 |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | +430 | 18.87% | $43 |
| Prince William | +650 | 13.33% | $65 |
| Joe Biden | +750 | 11.76% | $75 |
| Elon Musk | +750 | 11.76% | $75 |
| MrBeast | +850 | 10.53% | $85 |
| Sam Altman | +850 | 10.53% | $85 |
| Volodymyr Zelenskyy | +1000 | 9.09% | $100 |
| Evan Gershkovich | +1000 | 9.09% | $100 |
| King Charles III | +1300 | 7.14% | $130 |
| Taylor Swift | +1400 | 6.67% | $140 |
| Gavin Newsom | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
| Xi Jinping | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
*Includes ChatGPT
Politics envelop the news cycle in an election year, so it's not the least bit surprising to see the 2024 presidential candidates occupying the top two spots.
Trump and Harris, who have both been Time Person of the Year before, are running 1-2, respectively, by the slimmest of margins, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the running to become just the second "non-person" to earn front page honors.
For those who would rather steer clear of the abundance of political options, there's good variety throughout. You have royalty in Prince William and King Charles III, a globally renowned influencer in MrBeast, and an entertainment icon in Taylor Swift.
These odds will likely shuffle between now and when the Time Person of the Year is revealed, so check back often for the latest updates.
My Time Person of the Year pick: Kamala Harris (-125)
Time Person of the Year Odds: Favorites
Donald Trump (-130)
2024 Claim to Fame: Being the most divisive figure in US politics (again/still)
The 2016 Time Person of the Year is back on top of the odds table – and it's no mystery as to why.
In addition to sharing top spot with Harris in our latest U.S. presidential election odds, Trump has continued to do what he does best: dominate the news cycle. Between his never-dull campaign speeches, his ongoing legal issues and the unending passion of his voter base, Trump checks every box when it comes to being a strong Time Person of the Year candidate.
The biggest thing working against him: A host of equally worthy candidates in what has been an eventful year for newsworthy happenings.
Kamala Harris (-125)
2024 Claim to Fame: Blazing a trail to potential U.S. political history
Harris's path to the presidency has been starkly different than Trump's — and if her long, strange journey culminates with a spot in the White House, she's almost certainly a shoo-in for her second Time Person of the Year nod.
Harris, who was first on the cover alongside Joe Biden in 2020, is looking to make history as the first woman to secure the U.S. presidency — and while the Kamala Harris odds have her dead even with the former president, Nate Silver's latest projections give her a 57 percent chance of winning the Electoral College vote.
This is my betting pick simply due to the value. Harris is a strong play at the moment to win the election, and her history-making victory would all but assure her the Time Person of the Year distinction. And given her inspirational path to get here, she might prevail even in defeat.
Time Person of the Year Odds: Contenders
Artificial Intelligence (+340)
2024 Claim to Fame: Reshaping the world, for better or worse
Politics isn't the only thing dividing the nation these days. Just ask people for their thoughts on the proliferation of AI.
The latest technological earthquake has seen AI infiltrate just about every industry on the planet — and while there have been measurable benefits to its implementation, it has also shown dangerous flaws and massive negative repercussions (particularly creative and environmental ones) that go well beyond the litany of factual mistakes (do a quick search of "Google AI errors" and you'll see what I mean.)
An AI cover wouldn't be the first time technology won out; "The Computer" was named "Machine of the Year" in 1982.
Satoshi Nakamoto (+430)
2024 Claim to Fame: Outed as the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin
Here's your late-charging horse — and it's okay if you don't know the name.
An upcoming HBO documentary on the history of Bitcoin is reportedly expected to proclaim Nakamoto (presumably not his real name) as the developer of the world's most renowned cryptocurrency. Nakamoto is also said to have implemented the first blockchain database.
In any non-election year, a discovery like this would make Nakamoto a hefty favorite. Alas, 2024 likely belongs to the politicians.
Time Person of the Year Odds: Underdogs
Joe Biden (+750)
2024 Claim to Fame: Making presidential history (not all of it as he had hoped)
It will be interesting to see how history views Biden's presidency in sum — but there are several key moments in 2023 that won't make the highlight reel.
Biden went from confidently seeking a second term to shockingly stepping aside in favor of Harris after a listless showing at his presidential debate with Donald Trump ignited a firestorm of concern over his fitness to serve four more years. And in truth, his disapproval rating had been climbing even before the debate.
Harris is a strong option to make a second Time Person of the Year cover — and I'm certain Biden won't be joining her this time.
Elon Musk (+750)
2024 Claim to Fame: How much time do you have?
We have another former Time Person of the Year on the list — and he has had a busy nine months so far.
Let's focus on Musk's involvement in the topics that most often thrust him into the public eye: X's valuation continued to plummet, Tesla stock returned to its start-of-2024 value after cratering by nearly 43 percent in June, and Informa Connect reports that Musk is on track to become the world's first trillionaire by 2027.
You could argue that Musk should be an annual candidate for Time Person of the Year — but there just isn't enough unique to 2024 here to warrant a nod this year.
Time Person of the Year Odds: Long shots
King Charles III (+1300)
2024 Claim to Fame: Ushering in a new royal era
It has been a difficult two years for the Royal Family, between the death of Queen Elizabeth and cancer diagnoses for King Charles III and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Neither Charles, who was diagnosed in February, nor Buckingham Palace has shared many updates on his recovery, though Tom Parker Bowles — Queen Camilla's son — shared in a recent interview with British Vogue that Charles is "having the best treatment. He’s a great man and a tough man, and you’ve just got to get on with it."
We wish Charles the best from a health perspective, and hope that a full cancer recovery will put him in the running for the 2025 Person of the Year nod.
Taylor Swift (+1400)
2024 Claim to Fame: Growing her galaxy-sized profile even more
Richard Nixon is the only person to be named Time Person of the Year in consecutive years — and while Swift is another candidate who should be a regular finalist, it's difficult to see her unseating any of the top three options on the list.
Putting together the most lucrative concert tour in history is certainly noteworthy — as is her decision to endorse Harris.
As much as I would love being able to put Swift in a trivia question alongside Nixon, I don't see it happening.
Time Person of the Year History
| Year | Winner(s) | Claim to Fame |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Taylor Swift | Headlined the highest-grossing concert tour in history |
| 2022 | Volodymyr Zelenskyy/The Spirit of Ukraine | Led his country against invading Russian forces as President of Ukraine, aided by "the resilience of the Ukrainian people" |
| 2021 | Elon Musk | Became the world's richest man while earning praise for his work with Tesla and SpaceX |
| 2020 | Kamala Harris | Became the first woman and African-American to serve as vice president |
| 2020 | Joe Biden | Was elected as U.S. president, edging out Donald Trump |
| 2019 | Greta Thunberg | 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist who addressed the United Nations Climate Action Summit |
| 2018 | "The Guardians" | Journalists who faced arrest, capture or murder for their work |
| 2017 | "The Silence Breakers" | Representing those who fought against sexual abuse and harassment |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Was elected U.S. president, beating out Hillary Clinton |
| 2015 | Angela Merkel | Provided support with Greek debt crisis and European migrant crisis |
| 2014 | "Ebola fighters" | Health care professionals who slowed the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa |
| 2013 | Pope Francis | Was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Earned re-election as U.S. president over Mitt Romney |
| 2011 | "The Protester" | Acknowledging the rise in major protests around the world |
| 2010 | Mark Zuckerberg | Led Facebook beyond a half-billion users while dealing with major privacy concerns |
| 2009 | Ben Barnanke | Led the Federal Reserve amid the global financial crisis |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Upended John McCain to become president of the US |
| 2007 | Vladimir Putin | Helped re-establish Russia as a global power while improving economic conditions |
| 2006 | You | Celebrating Internet content creators |
| 2005 | "The Good Samaritans" (Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates) | Honored for their various philanthropic endeavors |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Re-elected, oversaw U.S. participation in the Iraq War |
| 2003 | "The American soldier" | U.S. soldiers participating in wars around the globe |
| 2002 | "The Whistleblowers" (Cynthia Cooper, Coleen Rowley, Sherron Watkings) | Exposing financial issues at Enron, unearthing fraud at WorldCom, testifying on FBI mishandling 9/11 info |
| 2001 | Rudy Giuliani | Earned praise for his handling of the aftermath of 9/11 as New York City mayor |
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Was elected US president in a narrow vote over Al Gore |
| 1999 | Jeff Bezos | Was a major contributor to the dot-com boom via Amazon |
| 1998 | Ken Starr | Investigated Clinton, publishing the Starr Report which led to Clinton's impeachment |
| 1998 | Bill Clinton | Was impeached due to the Monica Lewinsky scandal but was acquitted by the Senate |
| 1997 | Andrew Grove | Earned credit as a contributor to the tech boom as chairman and CEO of Intel |
| 1996 | David Ho | Helped make significant progress in AIDS research |
| 1995 | Newt Gingrich | Helped lead the "Republican Revolution", became Speaker of the House |
| 1994 | Pope John Paul II | Spoke out against abortion at Cairo Conference, strengthened relations with Israel |
| 1993 | "The Peacemakers" (Yasser Arafat, F.W. de Klerk, Nelson Mandela, Yitzhak Rabin) | Honored for ending Apartheid in South Africa, signing Oslo Accord, overseeing Mandela's release from prison |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton | Was elected US president, beating out George H.W. Bush |
| 1991 | Ted Turner | Lifted CNN to prominence via Gulf War coverage |
| 1990 | George H.W. Bush | Forged America's role in the Gulf War as US president |
| 1989 | Mikhail Gorbachev | Instituted the first free Soviet elections; presided over dissolution of Eastern Bloc |
| 1988 | "The Endangered Earth" | Representation of growing global environmental concerns |
| 1987 | Mikhail Gorbachev | Drove perestroika and glasnost political movements as leader of the Soviet Union |
| 1986 | Corazon Aquino | Led People Power Revolution en route to being elected President of the Phillipines |
| 1985 | Deng Xiaoping | Introduced significant economic reforms in China |
| 1984 | Peter Ueberroth | Organized the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles |
| 1983 | Yuri Andropov | Focused on Soviet economy as General Secretary of the Communist Party |
| 1982 | Ronald Reagan | Made headlines with creation of Strategic Defense Initiative |
| 1982 | "The Computer" | Named "Machine of the Year" for kicking off Information Age |
| 1981 | Lech Walesa | Built the Gdansk Agreement as leader of Polish Solidarity |
| 1980 | Ronald Reagan | Defeated Jimmy Carter to become US president |
| 1979 | Ruhollah Khomeini | Led the 1979 Iranian Revolution, becoming Supreme Leader |
| 1978 | Deng Xiaoping | Seized de facto control of China by overthrowing Hua Guofeng |
| 1977 | Anwar Sadat | Became first Egyptian president to visit Israel to build relations |
| 1976 | Jimmy Carter | Was elected US president, defeating Gerald Ford |
| 1975 | "American women" | Acknowledging key players in the US feminist movement |
| 1974 | Faisal | Played major role in global oil crisis as King of Saudi Arabia |
| 1973 | John Sirica | Ordered Richard Nixon to surrender Watergate recordings |
| 1972 | Henry Kissinger | Served as chief US negotiator for peace in Vietnam War |
| 1972 | Richard Nixon | Became first US president to visit China, was re-elected |
| 1971 | Richard Nixon | Created Economic Stabilization Plan, revived dialogue with communist China |
| 1970 | Willy Brandt | Renounced German claims on Poland, acknowledged Holocaust |
| 1969 | "The Middle Americans" | Representing conservative Americans from rural areas |
| 1968 | Apollo 8 astronauts | First humans in history to orbit the Moon |
| 1967 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Drew ire for Vietnam War failures, race riots. |
| 1966 | "The Inheritor" | Baby Boomers, who were aged 25 and under at the time |
| 1965 | William Westmoreland | Commanded US forces in South Vietnam |
| 1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Passed Civil Rights act, amplified US role in Vietnam War |
| 1963 | Martin Luther King Jr. | Made major contributions as leader of American Civil rights movement |
| 1962 | Pope John XXIII | Mediated Cuban Missile Crisis between US and USSR |
| 1961 | John F. Kennedy | Inaugurated as U.S. president; led failed Cuban invasion |
| 1960 | "US Scientists" | 15 scientists recognized for achievements in the field |
| 1959 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Arranged Nikita Khrushchev visit to US, became first President to visit India |
| 1958 | Charles de Gaulle | Appointed PM of France in May, and was elected President in December |
| 1957 | Nikita Khrushchev | Led Russia to victory in the Space Race via Sputnik 1 launch |
| 1956 | "The Hungarian freedom fighter" | Hungarian revolutionaries who led an uprising against the Soviet-led government |
| 1955 | Harlow Curtice | Led General Motors to unprecedented sales as its President |
| 1954 | John Foster Dulles | Created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization as Secretary of State |
| 1953 | Konrad Adenauer | Helped Germany rebuild economic relations with the West |
| 1952 | Elizabeth II | Became Queen of the UK and the Commonwealth |
| 1951 | Mohammad Mossadegh | Kicked out western oil companies as Prime Minister of Iran |
| 1950 | "The American fighting-man" | US troops fighting in the Korean War |
| 1949 | Winston Churchill | Served as Leader of the Opposition |
| 1948 | Harry S. Truman | Elected as U.S. president in an all-time upset |
| 1947 | George C. Marshall | Built the Marshall Plan as new Secretary of State |
| 1946 | James F. Byrnes | Reshaped US foreign policy as Secretary of State |
| 1945 | Harry S. Truman | Approved atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima, Nagasaki |
| 1944 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe |
| 1943 | George C. Marshall | Led US in World War II as Army Chief of Staff |
| 1942 | Joseph Stalin | Oversaw Battle of Stalingrad as Premier of Soviet Union |
| 1941 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Oversaw U.S. entry into World War II |
| 1940 | Winston Churchill | Oversaw Dunkirk evacuation, Battle of Britain as UK PM |
| 1939 | Joseph Stalin | Oversaw non-aggression deal with Nazi Germany |
| 1938 | Adolf Hitler | Led Germany/Austria unification, Sudetenland cession |
| 1937 | Soong Mei-ling* | Wife of Chiang Kai-shek; generated Chinese support in the US |
| 1937 | Chiang Kai-shek | Premier of Republic of China during Second Sino-Japanese War |
| 1936 | Wallis Simpson | Relationship with King Edward VIII led to his abdication |
| 1935 | Haile Selassie | Emperor of Ethiopia during Second Italo-Abyssinian War |
| 1934 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Significant positive impact of his New Deal |
| 1933 | Hugh S. Johnson | Named director of National Recovery Administration |
| 1932 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Won a one-sided 1932 presidential election |
| 1931 | Pierre Laval | Appointed prime minister of France |
| 1930 | Mahatma Gandhi | Led the 240-mile Salt Satyagraha march to protest salt tax |
| 1929 | Owen D. Young | Authored Young Plan (settlement of German reparations post-WWI) |
| 1928 | Walter Chrysler | Oversaw Chrysler/Dodge merger |
| 1927 | Charles Lindbergh | First solo transatlantic flight |
*Referred to as Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in the magazine
Time Person of the Year Trends
- The presidential winner has been named Time Person of the Year in seven of the previous eight election years.
- "The Computer" (1982) and "The Endangered Earth" (1988) the only non-persons to be featured on the annual Time Person of the Year cover.
- Swift is the last person to appear on multiple Time Person of the Year covers; in addition to her 2023 nod, she was part of the 2017 cover honoring "The Silence Breakers".
- Barack Obama is the last person to earn multiple individual Time Person of the Year accolades, in 2008 and 2012.
Learn about the Time Person of the Year selection process here.
Time Person of the Year FAQs
The Time Person of the Year is expected to be revealed in early December.
Former president Donald Trump is a slight betting favorite for Time Person of the Year at -130, with Democratic counterpart Kamala Harris at -125.
Global entertainment icon Taylor Swift was named Time Person of the Year in 2023.
Members of the Time newsroom select the candidate that best fits the criterion of “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year."
