'Federer most trusted, respected after Mandela in the world'

Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer is the second most respected, admired and trusted individual in the world, after former South African president Nelson Mandela, a new global study of more than 50,000 people in 25 countries shows. Federer finished ahead of the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and Bono in the 2011 Leader RepTrak, which assesses the reputations of the world’s 54 most visible public figures in politics, business, culture and sports. Football icon David Beckham finished at No. 24, one place behind basketball star LeBron James. [caption id=“attachment_88667” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Roger Federer poses with local school children during his visit to a school funded by his charity in Kore Roba, Ethiopia, in 2010. Image courtesy Roger Federer Foundation via Getty Images”]  [/caption] “The results of Reputation Institute’s study confirm that people respect leaders that participate in philanthropic activities outside of their own celebrity,” said Reputation Institute Chairman, Dr Charles Fombrun. “The public’s top two on our list, Mandela and Federer, have emotional ties to South Africa, and donate both time and money to the betterment of the region and its people. They get praise for their efforts.” The 30-year-old Federer, a winner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, has been actively involved in charitable activities on the ATP World Tour — including the Rally For Relief to support Queensland flood victims earlier this season — and through his own foundation. The Roger Federer Foundation supports education and sports projects in Ethiopia, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Switzerland. Federer also recently donated his gear to a charity auction to raise funds for the flood victims in Pakistan . Top 10 most respected and trusted individuals in the world Chart courtesy of Reputation Institute