Davos is dead; the World Economic Forum is passé. Deluded by its exclusive profile as a gathering of world leaders, business moguls, policymakers and celebrities, its participants have lost all relevance in the real world.
And, let’s face it, anyone who holds a conference in winter in Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries in the world, smacks of capitalist vulgarity. After all, this meeting is attended by the 1% of the 1%.
Edward Zander, the former CEO of Motorola, was a real Davos type. He took company assets as his perks, which governance experts regard as gross abuse of shareholder money. He was allowed to use the company jet for private golf tours and tea parties. He is infamous for saying, “I love my job. I hate my customers!”