Name: 10 Facts You Should Know About The World Economic Forum
Uploaded: 2026-01-21T17:17:33.000Z
Duration: 15 min 37 s
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Francine caught up with the President of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab.

And today we're breaking down everything you need to know about the World Economic Forum.

I am indeed joined by Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary, professor at Harvard University, now along with George Soros, founder, Soros Capital.

The Ayatollah has accused the President of being behind the country's massive demonstrations.

Right now, the death toll from protests in the country surpassed 5,000.

Trump prepares to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this week.

The World Economic Forum has no formal authority, but authority isn't the only form of power.

Davos shapes narratives, normalizes actors, and elevates ideas that ripple outward into policy, financial markets, and media.

I'm amazed how the narrative has changed, like, oh, now we have low inflation.

But my point being, I think he has messaging.

He needs to do that is going to be tough to do at Davos.

The annual meeting held each January in Davos, Switzerland, gathers a uniquely concentrated mix of political, corporate, and

That concentration is why the form is defended as useful and criticized as unaccountable.

When Davos confers legitimacy, the effects travel far beyond Switzerland.

It's a proportional response to influence.

Understanding how Davos works is the first step toward understanding why its decisions matter.

The President is expected to highlight these new tariffs, his desire to take over Greenland, and

possible US Involvement in Iran while he's in Davos.

What do you think his overall message to the world will be?

Well, I don't think we should be too surprised, Henry, if we're treated to a kind of greatest hits of the President's spurious claims.

And that's actually the theme of our meeting.

Trust in our future, trust in our capacity to overcome challenges, and most importantly, trust in each other.

Klaus Schwab founded the organization that became the WEF after launching the European Management Forum in the early 1970s.

Over five decades, he acted as its figurehead, championing ideas like stakeholder capitalism and global cooperation.

His departure in April 2025 marked more than a personal exit.

The World Economic Forum has confirmed they're investigating former chairman Klaus Schwab after his seemingly abrupt resignation on Monday.

An anonymous whistleblower sent a letter to the organization and accused Schwab of misusing foreign funds and resources.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.

Founder led institutions often face moments of reckoning once their architect steps aside.

Structures of governance that were once implicit must suddenly stand on their own.

For the wef, this transition landed amid growing skepticism toward elite institutions.

It heightened attention on how decisions are made and how standards are enforced.

Schwab and his wife have denied all allegations and Schwab filing a lawsuit against whomever wrote it.

Schwab is a proponent of the Great Reset, which is essentially a reshaking of the world order that involves things like ESG initiatives and stakeholder economies.

Number eight where the real influence happens.

It's not a formal international organization in the way we think of, say, the UN or going to a meeting of alliance members of NATO, something like that.

And yet it is a clearly a significant meeting of what you might call globally influential elite coming from a variety of backgrounds.

Despite the attention on main stage panels, Davos runs on proximity.

Side events, private meetings and invitation only dinners create dense networks of interaction between CEOs, public servants and NGO leaders.

It's hardly a secret that the annual meeting draws thousands of participants precisely for access.

The WEF's partner structure reinforces this, placing corporate and institutional members closer to agenda setting spaces.

None of this requires secret coordination.

Access leads to alignment, alignment becomes consensus, and

consensus shapes policy and corporate strategy long after the snow melts in Switzerland.

It is something that has come up repeatedly the idea that at a moment of populist frustration with politics, that it is a risky proposition for a prime minister for any politician to go to what seems like a cushy gig again to be present with the global elite.

We have time for maybe one or two questions today, but I'll turn it over to the secretary.

It's an honor to represent the US Delegation on behalf of President Trump.

It's been a busy year and the president will be here on Wednesday and Thursday to sum up the year, talk about his thoughts going forward.

The WEF often emphasizes that it does not endorse the views of its speakers, but

Panels are curated, session titles, participant bios and framing all signal institutional approval regardless of disclaimers.

The forum's own language reinforces this, describing Davos as a gathering of leaders shaping global priorities.

I don't know anything about the president's letter to Norway, and

I think it's complete canard that the president will be doing this because of the Nobel Prize.

The president is looking at Greenland as a strategic asset for the United, United States.

We are not going to outsource our hemispheric security to anyone else.

When controversial figures appear without strong contextual framing or challenge, the message travels far beyond the room.

Who is welcomed when and how often communicates values more loudly than any neutrality statement.

Iran's supreme Leader has for the first time acknowledged the rising death toll during protests in the country, accusing Donald Trump of inciting the unrest.

Human rights groups claim more than 3,000 people have been killed since demonstrations against the regime began.

Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Aragchi was scheduled to appear at Davos on January 20, 2026.

Aragchi's invitation triggered widespread backlash due to the ongoing political crisis in Iran.

On January 19, 2026, the WEF backtracked and confirmed that Arakchi would not attend.

The controversy wasn't about whether the forum ultimately reversed course.

For critics, scheduling a senior Iranian official during an active crackdown blurred the line between engagement and normalization.