What just happened? It's been quite a year for AMD, which, after living in Intel's shadow for so long, has seen its processors' popularity surge. Because of this success, company CEO Lisa Su has been honored with an appearance in the Bloomberg 50 list.

The Bloomberg 50 names the "people who defined 2019," including those from "finance to fashion and technology to trade."

Su's entry notes that AMD stock is up 90 percent in a year when it unveiled processors that challenge Intel's in terms of price and performance, finally offering a credible alternative for consumers. It's also noted how AMD got its 7-nanometer chips onto the market as Intel struggled with 10nm, and how Google, Microsoft, and Amazon were already using team red's 7nm server chips.

AMD has been eroding Intel's share of the CPU market since the launch of its Zen architecture two years ago, and customers are increasingly choosing Ryzen over Intel's alternatives. A recent survey showed 60 percent of Europeans preferred AMD's processors---a 50 percent jump over the last two years.

AMD's popularity is showing in other areas, too. Eight of the top ten spots on Amazon's list of best-selling processors in the US were taken by Ryzen CPUs recently; now, the company holds all ten positions. And, as noted by analysts and the Steam hardware surveys, it continues to chip away at Intel across the board.

It really is a boom time for AMD right now, while Intel's troubles continue. Under Su's leadership, expect the company's meteoric rise to continue.

If you're after a new processor, make sure to check out our Best of CPUs feature.