The 13 most powerful Yale graduates alive

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Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve chair, earned a doctorate in economics from in 1971.

Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve chair, earned a doctorate in economics from in 1971.

Janet Yellen has been chair of the Federal Reserve since 2014, after previously serving as vice chair from 2010 to 2014.

She is the first woman to hold the position.

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George H.W. Bush, former US president, earned his bachelor's degree in economics in 1948.

George H.W. Bush, former US president, earned his bachelor's degree in economics in 1948.

George H.W. Bush has had an illustrious political career. He was president of the United States from 1989-1993 and served as vice president to Ronald Reagan from 1981-1989.

The former president has raised an equally powerful brood of children. Eldest son George W. Bush was president of the US from 2001-2009 and second-born son John Ellis "Jeb" Bush was governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and is currently running for president.

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George W. Bush, former president of the US, earned his bachelor's degree in 1968.

George W. Bush, former president of the US, earned his bachelor's degree in 1968.

George W. Bush was president of the United States from 2001-2009. He had early roots at Yale; he was born in New Haven, Connecticut, before his family moved to Texas.

At Yale, Bush studied history, was a cheerleader, and was president of his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group, earned his bachelor's degree in 1969.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group, earned his bachelor's degree in 1969.

Stephan A. Schwarzman attended Yale at the same time as George W. Bush, and, like the former president, he was tapped into the ultra-powerful Scull and Bones secret society.

As co-founder, chairman & CEO of The Blackstone Group, he has amassed significant wealth. Forbes estimates his personal fortune at around $7.7 billion. In November 2015, Business Insider referred to him as "the richest man in private equity."

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Bill Clinton, former US president, earned his law degree in 1973.

Bill Clinton, former US president, earned his law degree in 1973.

Bill Clinton was president of the United States from 1993-2001, and he was the governor of Arkansas from 1979-1981 and 1983-1992.

Clinton met his girlfriend, now wife, Hillary Clinton while they were attending the law school together.

Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, earned her law degree in 1973.

Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, earned her law degree in 1973.

While she gained national prominence as first lady of the US, Hillary Clinton has plenty of her own achievements under her belt. After Yale Law School, she worked for the prestigious Rose Law Firm and became the first woman to be made a full partner there.

When her husband, Bill Clinton, was elected president, she became the first first lady to hold a postgraduate degree.

She became a US senator in 2001 and served as secretary of state under President Obama from 2009-2013. She is currently running for president.

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Anderson Cooper, journalist and television personality, earned his bachelor's degree in 1989.

Anderson Cooper, journalist and television personality, earned his bachelor's degree in 1989.

Anderson Cooper studied political science while at Yale and set his sights on a career in journalism.

He is now a global name as an anchor on his eponymous news program "Anderson Cooper 360°."

John Kerry, secretary of state, earned his bachelor's degree in 1966.

John Kerry, secretary of state, earned his bachelor's degree in 1966.

The current secretary of state and former senator from Massachusetts, Kerry spent a childhood abroad with his diplomat father before attending Yale and gaining membership into Skull and Bones.

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Samuel Alito, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, earned his law degree in 1975.

Samuel Alito, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, earned his law degree in 1975.

While at Yale, Alito was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. He always had aspirations to inhabit the highest court in the nation, writing in his yearbook he would "eventually warm a seat on the Supreme Court."

David Boies, lawyer and chairman of the law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner, earned his law degree in 1966.

David Boies, lawyer and chairman of the law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner, earned his law degree in 1966.

Considered one of America's most powerful lawyers, Boies has worked on a number of significant court cases.

He represented Al Gore in Bush v. Gore, and successfully overturned California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage.

He's currently representing fantasy sports company DraftKings, which was shut down in October by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who claimed it constituted gambling.

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Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, earned her law degree in 1979.

Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, earned her law degree in 1979.

Like Samuel Alito, Sotomayor was an editor of the Yale Law Journal, though their time at Yale did not overlap. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by Barack Obama in 2009.

Jim Chanos, president and founder of Kynikos Associates, earned his bachelor's degree in 1980.

Jim Chanos, president and founder of Kynikos Associates, earned his bachelor's degree in 1980.

Famed short-seller Jim Chanos is the founder and president of Kynikos Associates, a hedge fund.

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Clarence Thomas, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, earned his law degree in 1974.

Clarence Thomas, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, earned his law degree in 1974.

When Clarence Thomas graduated from Yale Law School, he says he faced discrimination when applying for jobs as many interviewers thought he was only accepted due to affirmative action. "Many asked pointed questions, unsubtly suggesting they doubted I was as smart as my grades indicated," Thomas told ABCNews.

That bias didn't stop him from being appointed to the highest court in the US in 1990 by George H.W. Bush.

Now see who topped Harvard's most powerful list

Now see who topped Harvard's most powerful list

The 20 most powerful Harvard graduates alive >>

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