# Master of the Universe

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/master-of-the-universe
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A powerful person.

## Examples

- He acts like he is the master of the universe.
- The CEO walked into the room like the master of the universe, expecting everyone to follow his orders immediately.
- The young trader believed he was the master of the universe, but the sudden market crash quickly humbled his arrogance.

## Origin

The term is a recent acquisition from the toy aisles. In 1982, the American manufacturer Mattel launched the Masters of the Universe line, a media franchise designed to sell plastic action figures to children. The nomenclature promised a degree of domestic authority that the target demographic likely found difficult to exercise in practice. The phrase transitioned into the lexicon of finance five years later. In his 1987 novel The Bonfire of the Vanities, the author Tom Wolfe applied the title to highly successful business figures, specifically those high-yield bond traders who viewed the financial landscape with the same inflated sense of omnipotence as the Mattel characters. The term has since remained a standard label for those whose influence is matched only by their self-regard.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.