Najib Mikati became prime minister of Lebanon in January 2011 and immediately faced a series of threats to the country's stability--not least the violence in neighboring Syria. Mikati, who's a moderate in a divided nation, keeps in touch with a growing following on Twitter to explain his policies. Mikati and his brother Taha made their fortune in telecom by selling their stake in Investcom to South Africa's MTN Group. With the proceeds from the sale, they established the M1 Group, which has investments in real estate, jet leasing, and apparel company Façonnable. Mikati relinquished his post in the group when he became prime minister. His son Maher oversees the retail and travel divisions.

Middle Eastern Heritage,