nadir, penultimate, pinnacle
Tom Cruise, who earns $67 million a year, is at the pinnacle of The Celebrity 100, a list compiled by Forbes of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. At the nadir of the list is Extreme Makover: Home Edition host Ty Pennington. Occupying the penultimate position is Adriana Lima, a Brazilian model who has contracts with Victoria's Secret and Maybelline.
pinnacle - (noun) the highest point
nadir - (noun) the lowest point
penultimate - (adjective) second to last