The World Economic Forum

A History of Power, Influence, and Global Change

Discover the untold story of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the most influential platform shaping global economics, politics, and society over the last five decades. From its humble beginnings as a European management forum to its rise as a global convening space for corporate leaders, political figures, and innovators, this book reveals how Davos became the stage where the world’s most critical decisions are debated and sometimes decided.

Dive into the pivotal moments that defined the Forum’s evolution:

• How the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in the 1970s tested WEF’s relevance and reshaped its mission.

• The emergence of Davos as a neutral platform during geopolitical crises, including the 1976 Aegean Sea tensions and the end of the Cold War.

• The Forum’s response to the digital revolution, integrating technology leaders like Bill Gates to understand the global impact of the Internet, software, and automation.

• Lessons from the Asian Financial Crisis and the birth of the G20, showing how WEF foresaw gaps in global governance.

• How WEF became a launchpad for large-scale public-private initiatives, like the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and the backlash from growing public scrutiny.

• Leadership challenges, including the Figueres controversy, highlighting the limits of trust-based governance in an elite-driven institution.

• The Forum’s role in addressing systemic crises, from the 2008 Global Financial Collapse to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to transformative concepts like The Great Redesign and the Great Reset.

• How WEF influence shifted into financial power through ESG investing, with market forces themselves enforcing sustainability and social standards.

• The ongoing tension between elite coordination and democratic accountability, revealing the limits of globalization in a fragmented, post-pandemic world.