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 as we approach the 99th 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 early 2025 Time Person of the Year odds:
Time Person of the Year Odds 2025
(Odds courtesy FanDuel Canada as of Jan. 15)
| Person | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
*Includes ChatGPT
The top two names on the early 2025 odds table shouldn't really surprise anyone – nor should we be shocked to see Donald Trump and Elon Musk occupying the top two spots in the closing odds in early December.
Both made more than their share of headlines in the opening weeks of the new year, and set the stage by dominating the headlines in the final weeks of 2024. Trump seeks his third Time Person of the Year honor after winning in 2016 and 2024. Musk was the 2021 Time Person of the Year, one of only two non-politicians (along with Taylor Swift) to garner the year-end cover spot in the past five years.
I reserve the right to change this pick as new value opportunities present themselves, but as of mid-January,
My Time Person of the Year pick: Elon Musk (+250)
Time Person of the Year Odds: Favorites
Donald Trump (-125)
2025 Claim to Fame: Back in the Oval Office – and guaranteed to make headlines
There's really nobody else you could put in the pole position for Time Person of the Year at this point in the calendar.
Trump has been front and center in the news cycle since being elected to a second non-consecutive term in November, and will remain in the public eye well after his Jan. 20 inauguration. What he does over his first 100 days back in office will be worldwide news, and exchange sites like Kalshi are already loading up on Trump-related markets in anticipation of some wild developments.
It'll take a monumental effort from someone else on this list to unseat Trump, at least from an odds perspective – but it's noteworthy Richard Nixon is the only newsmaker to be named Time Person of the Year in consecutive years. So this is by no means a slam-dunk for the 47th President of the United States.
Elon Musk (+250)
2025 Claim to Fame: Joining Trump at the hip (at least for now)
Musk positioned himself to be a main character in Season 1 of the Trump presidential sequel; how long he remains in the picture isn't clear, but you know that whatever happens between Musk and Trump in 2025 will be memorable.
On one hand, news outlets spilling ink on some of the most controversial things Musk says or agrees/disagrees with won't be enough on its own to land him a second December Time cover. On the other hand, there are so many potentially mind-blowing developments in play here: what if he sells X? What if he accelerates his plan to go to the moon? What if Trump publicly shames him and immediately turns on him? You can't rule anything out – and that's what makes him such a great candidate for TPOY.
This is why I have Musk as my very, very early pick. Things could get news-y here in a hurry – and that's exactly what the Time voting panel is looking for.
Time Person of the Year Odds: Contenders
Artificial Intelligence (including ChatGPT) (+850)
2025 Claim to Fame: Still one of the world's most contentious topics
There's precedent to Time awarding its Person of the Year honor to a non-person – and AI made a spirited run in the 2024 odds race before ultimately falling short. But the flip of the calendar has done nothing to quell the fiery debate between AI supporters and those who would happily see the innovation launched into space.
AI is more prevalent than ever – and the next wave of AI integration is well underway, with more businesses finding ways to capitalize on the growing global interest. But all that AI love comes at an immense cost, according to detractors, with negative environmental impact and concerns over the erosion of creativity and original thought among the biggest red flags.
Whatever side of the argument you're on, it's clear the debate will rage on a while longer – and that alone makes AI a strong value play in this market.
Gavin Newsom (+1,900)
2025 Claim to Fame: The Next Big Thing in the national Democratic picture?
Newsom has already found himself splashed across newspapers and computer screens from coast to coast in 2025, albeit for tragic reasons.
The California governor has been in the middle of wall-to-wall coverage of the devastating fires that have displaced millions of residents and caused tens of billions of dollars in damage. His handling of this disaster will go a long way for some toward establishing his viability as a potential Democratic presidential candidate (it's never too early, right?)
Newsom could have a difficult time making inroads in the Time Person of the Year odds, given U.S. politicians generally don't earn the honor the year after an election. But if anyone can break the mold there, it's him.
Time Person of the Year Odds: Long Shots
Jake Paul (+5,500)
2025 Claim to Fame: TBD – but we're excited to find out
It feels like Paul should have been a stronger candidate for Time Person of the Year in 2024 – but there was no beating the world's most controversial politician in an election year.
After beating one-time boxing great Mike Tyson at his own game and earning tens of millions of dollars in the process, what does Paul have planned for an encore? It isn't clear – but guys like Paul don't take a year off, so you know something is coming.
Entertainers struggle mightily to make sufficient headlines to be considered for Time Person of the Year, so Paul likely won't see his odds improve much beyond where they are right now. But if he decides he wants to be really ambitious in 2025, there might be some value in this pick.
Logan Paul (+5,500)
2025 Claim to Fame: Ready to rumble – and to escape his brother's immense shadow
He's not exactly Ozzie Canseco or Brent Gretzky, but Logan Paul has always been a step behind his brother when it comes to overall acclaim. Don't be surprised to see that dynamic shift in 2025.
Logan has a great thing going as one of the top names in World Wrestling Entertainment – and while not everyone is happy to see him competing against some of the world's most renowned wrestlers, the higher-ups love him. So much so, in fact, reports suggest he might find himself in a world championship match at Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas.
That alone would be a massive lift to his personal profile – but he's also linked to a boxing match against Conor McGregor (an event UFC president Dana White has already nixed), while his energy drink, Prime, is gaining notoriety for allegedly having too much caffeine. No such thing as bad press, right?
Logan is a long shot for a reason – but he's not leaving the public eye anytime soon, which makes him live in this market.
Time Person of the Year History
| Year | Winner(s) | Claim to Fame |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Donald Trump | Became just the second man to earn two non-consecutive presidential terms |
| 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 Thurnberg | 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 U.S. |
| 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 Phillippines |
| 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 U.S. 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 U.S. president, defeating Gerald Ford |
| 1975 | "American women" | Acknowledging key players in the U.S. 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 U.S. negotiator for peace in Vietnam War |
| 1972 | Richard Nixon | Became first U.S. 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 U.S. forces in South Vietnam |
| 1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Passed Civil Rights act, amplified U.S. 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 U.S. and U.S.S.R. |
| 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 U.S., 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 U.K. and the Commonwealth |
| 1951 | Mohammad Mossadegh | Kicked out western oil companies as Prime Minister of Iran |
| 1950 | "The American fighting-man" | U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. |
| 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."
