Svengali
VIP
access
bad influence
big wheel
court
eminence grise
five-percenter
friend at court
good influence
gray eminence
heavyweight
hidden hand
influence
influence peddler
influencer
ingroup
key
kingmaker
lobby
lobbyist
lords of creation
man of influence
manipulator
open sesame
powers that be
pressure group
sinister influence
special interests
special-interest group
the Establishment
very important person
wheeler-dealer
wire-puller
starets
highfalutin