The World Economic Forum's 56th annual meeting opens in Davos, Switzerland this week, bringing together nearly 3,000 participants from business, government, and civil society sectors under the theme of fostering dialogue in an increasingly fractured world. President Donald Trump leads the largest-ever U.S. delegation to the elite gathering, while rising global inequality and eroding trust in institutions cast a shadow over proceedings.
The four-day summit, running from January 21-24, marks significant leadership changes at the forum itself. Founder Klaus Schwab, who hosted the first Davos meeting 55 years ago, has stepped down following an investigation into alleged misconduct from which he was subsequently cleared. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Roche vice chair Andre Hoffman now serve as co-chairs, steering the organization into a new era.
Artificial intelligence dominates the business agenda, with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang making his debut appearance alongside an unprecedented gathering of tech leaders. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis are among the approximately 850 corporate executives attending. The discussions will focus on scaling AI while managing risks related to jobs, ethics, and growing inequality.
President Trump's participation marks his third visit to Davos as president and comes amid heightened global tensions. His administration has announced roughly six Cabinet secretaries will accompany him, and he is expected to deliver a speech Wednesday addressing housing affordability. The U.S. delegation arrives as European allies remain wary following fresh tariffs and continued pressure over Greenland, with Danish government representatives notably declining their invitations.
The backdrop of extreme wealth concentration has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups. Oxfam released data showing billionaire wealth rose 16 percent last year, three times faster than historical averages, reaching over 18 trillion dollars. The organization noted this 2.5 trillion dollar increase alone would be enough to eradicate extreme poverty 26 times over, yet nearly half the world population continues to live in poverty.
Trust in global institutions has reached critical lows according to a new Edelman survey of 34,000 people across 28 countries. Nearly 70 percent of respondents believe institutional leaders deliberately mislead the public, with CEO Richard Edelman warning that people are retreating from dialogue and favoring nationalism over global cooperation. Protesters gathered outside the conference venue with banners opposing war profiteering and signs calling it a world economic failure.
Despite the tensions, the gathering will feature an impressive roster of world leaders including the presidents of Argentina, France, Indonesia, Syria, and Ukraine, along with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The forum's stated goal of promoting a spirit of dialogue faces its sternest test as attendees navigate trade disputes, geopolitical conflicts, and fundamental questions about the future of the global economic order.