7 of the World’s Best Magicians

Shoot Ogawa is one of the most gifted close‑up magicians of the modern era. A two-time FISM world champion and multiple Academy of Magical Arts winner, he’s known for his elegant sleight‑of‑hand and his routine with rings.
Many professionals consider him one of the finest living practitioners of magic, with Penn Jillette calling Shoot “the best sleight of hand artist alive today”.

David Copperfield is often described as the most commercially successful magician in history, noted for his groundbreaking television specials, awards, and acclaimed Las Vegas shows.

He was famously in a relationship with supermodel Claudia Schiffer, adding a touch of celebrity glamour to his already glittering career.

Among his iconic illusions are walking through the Great Wall of China and making the Statue of Liberty disappear. He is also known for sawing himself in half with an electric buzz saw. Copperfield has been called a modern-day Houdini.

In 2013, Forbes listed him as the fifth-highest-paid celebrity in America. So, magic can pay off. I wish I had seen his performances!

Apollo is not only a sleight-of-hand expert but also one of the best pickpockets, or “deception specialists”, in the world.

He gained notoriety for picking the pockets of Secret Service agents accompanying former President Jimmy Carter.

Apollo’s TED Talk has gone viral, garnering millions of views, and is about the art of misdirection and the quirks of human behaviour and perception.

Well worth a watch. View it here: The art of misdirection | Apollo Robbins – YouTube

Penn and Teller are well known now for their TV show Fool Us, where magicians try to perform magic that the twosome cannot explain, and with Teller’s immense magical knowledge, that isn’t always possible.

Teller is noted for his silence, never speaking but letting showman Penn do the talking, adding mystery to their performances while also helping with the comedy.

They are also known for spilling the secrets behind some of their effects, though these are their creations, only to suddenly perform a different, more elaborate version

Shin Lim, after winning the World Magic Championship in 2015, became famous for fooling Penn and Teller and also appearing on America’s Got Talent, reaching the final.

A Las Vegas show followed this, of course. His magic is very visual, staying silent and using music to synchronise his act. This is magic as an art, as theatre.

Widely considered the reigning powerhouse of modern Spanish card magic, Dani DaOrtiz turns chaos into pure miracles.

Utilising a seemingly loose, improvisational “drunken master” style where cards scatter and rules seemingly fly out the window, DaOrtiz employs master-level psychological misdirection. He forces audiences, and even other magicians, to drop their guard completely, only to pull off the impossible right before their eyes.

Just watch his Penn & Teller – Fool Us performance to see how he seems to make it up as he goes along! A true master.

British magician and mentalist Derren Brown has earned a reputation as one of the most influential performers in his field.

He is best known for his acclaimed TV series, specials, and live stage shows, which he tours across the country and, recently, the USA. Some of these specials have included making people believe he was psychic, freaking people out by putting on a “séance”, and, of course, playing Russian Roulette on national TV!

A vocal sceptic, he often performs his acts to explain that there are people out there preying on the vulnerable with their “talking to dead relatives” nonsense. Derren is also a respected artist, known for his large caricature paintings of celebrities.

The late, great Juan Tamariz remains an eternal titan of card magic and a household name in his native Spain and South America, much as Paul Daniels is here in the UK. David Blaine once called him “the greatest and most influential card magician”

His influence is so widespread that you can see traces of his work in just about every magic show you see these days.

Spain is known to have its own “school” of magic, now influenced by Juan, which has produced many world champions of card magic. Known for his odd looks and for always wearing his hat, he is an unforgettable sight to watch.