Overview
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, that brings together political leaders, business executives, academics, and media figures annually in Davos. Founded by Klaus Schwab in 1971, it has grown from a European business conference into one of the most influential organizations shaping global policy.
Unlike secretive groups like Bilderberg, the WEF operates openly, publishing its agenda, hosting public panels, and producing extensive documentation of its goals. This transparency has made its stated objectives - including the "Great Reset" and "Fourth Industrial Revolution" - matters of intense public scrutiny and concern.
Critics view the WEF as the public relations arm of global technocracy, where unelected elites coordinate to reshape society according to their vision, bypassing democratic processes and national sovereignty.
"You'll own nothing. And you'll be happy."
- World Economic Forum promotional video, 2016
"The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world."
- Klaus Schwab, WEF Founder, June 2020
Klaus Schwab & Origins
Klaus Martin Schwab (born 1938) is a German economist and engineer who founded the WEF and has served as its executive chairman since inception.
Background
- Early Career: Harvard MBA, doctorate in economics. Worked for major corporations before academia.
- 1971: Founded the European Management Forum in Davos (renamed WEF in 1987)
- Mentors: Henry Kissinger played a significant role in shaping Schwab's worldview and introducing him to global power networks
- Vision: "Stakeholder capitalism" - the idea that corporations should serve multiple stakeholders, not just shareholders
Key Books by Schwab
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (2016)
Outlines the coming fusion of physical, digital, and biological systems. Discusses AI, biotechnology, and how technology will fundamentally change what it means to be human.
COVID-19: The Great Reset (2020)
Written with remarkable speed after the pandemic began. Presents COVID as an opportunity to fundamentally reshape economic, social, and political systems.
The Great Narrative (2022)
Sequel to The Great Reset. Focuses on creating a compelling story to convince the public to accept the transformations the WEF is promoting.
Family Background
Researchers have noted that Klaus Schwab's father, Eugen Schwab, ran a company (Escher Wyss) that used forced labor during WWII and was involved in Nazi weapons production, including technology for the atomic bomb program. While Klaus was born in 1938 and was a child during the war, some researchers question whether this family history influences his worldview regarding technocratic control.
The Great Reset
Announced in June 2020, the Great Reset is the WEF's comprehensive plan to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for reshaping the global economy, society, and governance structures.
Core Components
- Stakeholder Capitalism: Replace shareholder capitalism with a model where corporations serve "stakeholders" including governments, NGOs, and "society"
- ESG Mandates: Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria as requirements for business operation and investment
- Digital Identity: Universal digital ID systems linking health records, financial data, and social credit
- Central Bank Digital Currencies: Programmable money that can be controlled, limited, or expired by authorities
- Climate Action: Carbon taxes, reduced consumption, restricted travel, dietary changes (reduced meat)
"Own Nothing, Be Happy"
The WEF's 2016 video "8 Predictions for the World in 2030" stated: "You'll own nothing. And you'll be happy. Whatever you want you'll rent, and it'll be delivered by drone."
- Subscription models for everything - cars, homes, appliances
- Shift from ownership to access
- Centralized control over resources
- Dependence on digital platforms controlled by corporations
"Every country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed. In short, we need a 'Great Reset' of capitalism."
- Klaus Schwab, WEF website, June 2020
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Schwab's concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) describes a technological transformation that will fundamentally alter how we live, work, and relate to one another.
Key Technologies
- Artificial Intelligence: AI systems making decisions in healthcare, finance, policing, and governance
- Internet of Things: Connected sensors in everything - homes, cities, bodies
- Biotechnology: Gene editing (CRISPR), synthetic biology, human enhancement
- Brain-Computer Interfaces: Direct neural links to digital systems
- Digital Twins: Virtual copies of people, cities, and systems for simulation and control
Transhumanist Implications
Schwab has explicitly stated that 4IR technologies will "blur the lines between physical, digital, and biological spheres":
- "Implantable technologies" in bodies
- "Smart dust" - microscopic sensors
- Designer babies through genetic engineering
- AI "reading thoughts" and predicting behavior
"Fusion of Physical and Digital Identity"
WEF materials explicitly discuss merging human identity with digital systems. Critics warn this represents an existential threat to human autonomy, privacy, and even biological integrity. The goal appears to be complete surveillance and control of human activity through technology.
Young Global Leaders Program
Perhaps the most significant aspect of WEF influence is its Young Global Leaders (YGL) program, formerly known as Global Leaders for Tomorrow. This program has trained over 1,400 graduates who now occupy positions of power worldwide.
Notable Graduates
Emmanuel Macron
President of France
YGL Class of 2016. Elected President 2017. Previously attended Bilderberg. Pushes WEF agenda on climate, digital ID.
Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
YGL graduate. Implemented aggressive WEF policies including digital ID, carbon taxes, and COVID restrictions.
Jacinda Ardern
Former PM of New Zealand
YGL graduate. Known for strict COVID policies, gun confiscation, and speech restrictions.
Angela Merkel
Former Chancellor of Germany
Global Leaders for Tomorrow 1993. Led Germany for 16 years implementing EU integration policies.
Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
YGL Class of 2005. Known for aggressive climate and COVID policies.
Pete Buttigieg
US Secretary of Transportation
YGL graduate. Promotes "15-minute cities" and transportation restrictions.
"I have to say, when I mention names like Mrs. Merkel, even Vladimir Putin and so on, they all have been Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum. But what we are very proud of now is the young generation, like Prime Minister Trudeau... we penetrate the cabinets."
- Klaus Schwab, Harvard Kennedy School, 2017
Corporate & Government Partners
The WEF maintains partnerships with hundreds of the world's largest corporations and works directly with governments to implement its policies.
Strategic Partners Include
- Big Tech: Google, Microsoft, Meta (Facebook), Amazon, Apple, Salesforce
- Finance: BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Mastercard, Visa
- Pharma: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Moderna
- Media: Reuters, Bloomberg, New York Times, The Guardian
- Consulting: McKinsey, Deloitte, PwC, Accenture
Public-Private Partnerships
The WEF pioneered "public-private partnerships" where corporations and governments work together, effectively merging state and corporate power - what some call "fascism with better marketing."
The Davos Class
The annual Davos meeting brings together approximately 3,000 attendees including heads of state, CEOs, central bankers, and celebrities. Attendance costs over $50,000 for basic access, with premium access much higher. Private jets fill Swiss airports as elites discuss climate change and inequality.