Ashton Kutcher's New Media Thing

May 12, 2010 — -- They are the elite of the elite. Power brokers, mega-watt celebs. All in New York City for Time magazine's annual Time 100 bash, celebrating their picks for the 100 most influential people on the planet.

There's Sarah Palin. There's Martha Stewart. There's Elton John. And there's ... Ashton Kutcher?

You heard right.

He's not here because of his famous wife, Demi Moore. Or because of his acting resume (his most famous film?: "Dude, Where's My Car?").

Kutcher is here because he has turned himself into perhaps one of the most powerful people in social media.

Watch the full story Thursday on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET

He has almost 5 million followers on Twitter and 3.5 million fans on Facebook.

He's a major investor in hot Internet properties, and he's the owner of a successful multiplatform media company called Katalyst.

On the day the Time 100 was announced, "Nightline" co-anchor Cynthia McFadden caught up with Kutcher at the Katalyst office in Los Angeles.

McFadden asked Kutcher how it felt to be on the Time 100 list.

"I don't think it matters, it doesn't make a difference," Kutcher said. "Not that I'm not appreciative. It's one of those lists that former presidents, and network execs, and Madonna and Oprah are on -- I don't see myself operating in that."

Actually, Kutcher is operating in two seemingly divergent worlds. Supercool lunching in Hollywood with reality show guru Mark Burnett and posing for magazine covers on one hand, constantly indulging his inner geek on the other.

McFadden asked whether he got more satisfaction out of the acting or entrepreneurial sides of his life.

"I think I probably think about myself as an actor, which is the way most people do," Kutcher said. "I think I'm good, I don't think I'm great," said Kutcher. "I think I would hire somebody else to play me in the movie about me."