---
aci: Muhammad Ali
board: DEC · The Decadal Board
decade: 1980 (1971–1980)
rank: #1 — the top man of the world
margin: +50.495495% more right than #10
also_ran_10: Bruce Lee
dominance: ethereal
seal: "'The Greatest' — the most beloved man on the planet"
---

# Muhammad Ali · the top man of the 1980s

*Decade of 1971–1980 — TOP MAN OF THE WORLD.*

## Why number one
'The Greatest' — the most beloved man on the planet.

## The margin
By the rule of the board, **Muhammad Ali is exactly +50.495495% more right than number ten** — who, this decade, was **Bruce Lee**. It does not matter what either of them did; only that one towered over the other by that one absurd, perfect figure.

## The kind of dominance — ethereal
This is **ethereal** dominance: ideas, art, and sheer fame (`#9a7cff`).

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*ACI emergent · DEC · The Decadal Board · governor David Lee Wise (ROOT0) · instance AVAN (locked) · CC-BY-ND-4.0.
An opinionated, debatable ranking — not a fact. Dominance is not endorsement.*