An aerial view of the city forward of World Financial Discussion board (WEF), also referred to as Davos Summit in Davos, Switzerland on January 14, 2024.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Photos
J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are among the many who’s who of political leaders, big-name CEOs and tech pioneers heading to Davos, Switzerland for the World Financial Discussion board’s annual assembly.
U.S. President Donald Trump can be attending in individual for the primary time since he addressed the discussion board throughout his first time period in 2020. His digital handle final yr, days after reentering the White Home, shook the occasion. This time, he’ll convey the “largest” U.S. delegation but, in response to WEF.
Davos organizers are eager to speak up the numbers they anticipate to attend — “shut to three,000 cross-sector leaders,” plus a “document” 400 political leaders, 850 prime firm bosses and 100 tech pioneers. However a authorities on the middle of a geopolitical firestorm will not be there.
Danish authorities representatives have been invited and determined to not attend, a WEF spokesperson mentioned on Monday, because the dispute over Greenland intensified. Their determination underscores how tense the assembly is more likely to be, coming simply days after Trump introduced recent tariffs on European countries resisting his try to annex the Arctic island. “Any selections on attendance are a matter for the federal government involved. We are able to verify that the Danish authorities is not going to be represented in Davos this week,” the WEF spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
There are large names amongst those that aren’t going.
Chinese language President Xi Jinping just isn’t on WEF’s attendance list, neither are the leaders of Brazil and India.
U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italy’s chief Giorgia Meloni should not on the WEF listing, though each are reported to be attending.
Massive financial powers
Throughout a press convention final week, WEF organizers highlighted that six of the G7 nations are anticipated to ship representatives, in a “historic” transfer, in response to WEF’s president, Børge Brende.
In 2025, the only G7 leader attending Davos in individual was then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Alongside President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are set to attend in individual.
World Financial Discussion board president and CEO Borge Brende holds a press convention to current the upcoming WEF annual assembly held in Davos, in Geneva, on January 14, 2025.
Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Photos
Downing Avenue wouldn’t verify whether or not U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is attending — he didn’t attend final yr — however he’s reportedly anticipated to.
In an emergency press conference on Monday morning, Starmer addressed Trump’s announcement of escalating tariffs focusing on a number of European nations, together with the U.Okay., if Greenland is not offered to the U.S. However when requested by the BBC whether or not he would contemplate assembly Trump in individual “this week,” Starmer didn’t immediately reply the query.
U.Okay. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is ready to attend and be a visitor on CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe” on Wednesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is not talked about on WEF’s listing, however she is more likely to stay in her nation, on condition that she introduced on Monday a snap election for Feb. 8.
‘Extra of the CEOs’
Davos runs from Monday night to Friday morning. This yr’s theme is “A spirit of dialogue,” with an agenda specializing in 5 areas: the geopolitical setting, AI, local weather and nature, new sources of financial development and “folks and preparedness.”
However the curiosity might be in who will attend Davos, in response to Eric Kutcher, a senior associate at McKinsey & Firm, a “strategic associate” to WEF. “It will be about who’s there,” he mentioned in a video printed by the corporate. “Rather more so than what you see within the matters,” Kutcher mentioned.
Trump’s delegation is ready to incorporate U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, plus Center East particular envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. The president is scheduled to handle Davos on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump on display screen throughout his handle by video convention on the World Financial Discussion board annual assembly in Davos on Jan. 23, 2025.
Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Photos
WEF’s founder, Klaus Schwab, is one large title who will not be at Davos. After operating the occasion for many years, Schwab stepped down in April following an investigation into alleged misconduct. He was subsequently cleared of “material wrongdoing.”
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Roche vice-chair Andre Hoffman have been introduced as WEF’s interim co-chairs in August, and the group’s new personnel are “making an actual push to sort of re-instil the financial orientation of WEF, and in doing so, bringing extra of the CEOs,” Kutcher mentioned.
Alongside Nvidia’s Huang, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis are on WEF’s attendance listing. Sarah Friar, OpenAI’s chief monetary officer, can be set to take part, however the firm’s CEO, Sam Altman, just isn’t right down to attend.
Key matters for markets embody U.S. moves towards a Greenland takeover, political turmoil in Venezuela and the threat by Trump to use force against Iran. Traders can even be expecting bulletins from AI corporations, central financial institution updates, and information about firms diversifying away from the U.S.
Whereas some big-name politicians aren’t attending, a few of the leaders who’re going — reminiscent of Argentina’s Javier Milei and Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto — are “no small figures,” in response to Jan Aart Scholte, professor of world transformations and governance challenges at Leiden College within the Netherlands.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei delivers a speech on the World Financial Discussion board (WEF) assembly in Davos on January 17, 2024. (Picture by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Picture by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP through Getty Photos)
Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Photos
Governments nonetheless see Davos as a spot to satisfy with companies, he added. “World capital stays a robust pressure in world politics, even when large multinational enterprises are typically much less embraced and celebrated than 20-30 years in the past,” he informed CNBC in an electronic mail Monday.
Who’s not on the listing
Whereas WEF mentioned there are “near” 65 heads of state anticipated to attend, plus key figures reminiscent of European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, different large names should not on the listing.
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not scheduled to present addresses. However Brende described India’s delegation as “sturdy,” and famous that the heads of state of different Asian economies, together with Indonesia and Pakistan, would attend.
Support Greater and Subscribe to view content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.










