Once a year, TIME gets people to write about one of the 100 other people they have deemed the most influential on the planet. Ideally their short pieces should be about the subject and not the writer, but the cleverest among them manage to do both. These are the 18 best humblebrags found in this year’s list:
18.
For me and for CDC’s more than 800 experts who have worked in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea over the past year, it has been a privilege to work alongside Liu and her colleagues.
17.
I’ve known him three decades, as he helped end the Iran-Iraq War, free American hostages in Lebanon and broker a new Afghan government after the Taliban’s defeat.
Robin Wright on Mohammed Javad Zarif
16.
Like all gymnasts, I’ve done some ballet.
Nadia Comaneci on Misty Copeland
15.
I used to be a club tennis player, and I figured, I can give him a pretty good game.
14.
From Batman Begins to Interstellar, I did six blockbusters in a row with Christopher Nolan.
Michael Caine on Christopher Nolan
13.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Audra during our time on NBC’s telecast of The Sound of Music Live!
Carrie Underwood on Audra McDonald
12.
Two years ago I wrote that Xi Jinping would be China’s most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping. Now it seems he is likely to be China’s most powerful leader since Mao.
11.
I’ve seen her abilities manifested in the boardroom at Starbucks, where we both serve.
Bill Bradley on Mellody Hobson
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
