Greek-born Arianna Huffington has made Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful women in the world, joining the likes of Angela Merkel, Gina Rinehart and Hilary Clinton.

The founder and editor-in-chief of news website Huffington Post came in at number 61 and was singled out for her media empire and for her skills as an author.

With 14 books to her name, Ms Huffington recently released Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder that quickly became a bestseller.

Her ranking in the list has slipped since 2014, when she came in at number 52.

Topping the list again was German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also took out fifth position in the most powerful people list in 2014.

Clinching her third term in power, she has become the longest-serving elected EU head of state and has overseen a number of high profile cases including Russia-Ukraine relations and Greece’s negotiations with its creditors.

Hilary Clinton came in a close second, moving up four points from 2014 after she announced her candidacy for the Democratic 2016 presidential race. Third was Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, well-known for her philanthropy as the cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gina Rinehart was the only Australian to make it on the list, coming in at number 37.

Source: Forbes