After all this waffling, the honest answer is there is no single answer. Fame is like a Venn diagram made of spaghetti. But if I had to put cash on a living human, I’d bet on Messi or Obama. Messi because soccer is the world’s religion, and Obama because history is written in English. Or maybe it’s Donald Trump—he’s famous in ways that make you cringe, but recognizability doesn’t require admiration.
Shockingly, the most famous person might be you. Think about it: to your dog, you’re a god. To your mom, you’re her masterpiece. And in a universe of eight billion, your face is one in a trillion. That’s pretty famous, right? Now go finish your latte.
