J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are part of the elite gathering of influential politicians, top executives, and tech innovators traveling to Davos, Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum meeting.
U.S. President Donald Trump is making his first in-person appearance since he spoke at the forum during his initial term in 2020. His virtual address last year, shortly after returning to the White House, made waves at the event. This time, he will lead the “largest” U.S. delegation to date, per WEF’s statements.
The organizers of Davos are enthusiastic about the anticipated attendance figures — “nearly 3,000 cross-sector leaders,” in addition to a “record” 400 political figures, 850 top executives, and 100 tech innovators. However, a government central to a geopolitical crisis will be absent.
Danish officials were invited but chose to abstain, a WEF spokesperson confirmed on Monday, amidst rising tensions over Greenland. Their absence highlights the expected contentious nature of the meeting, just days following Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on European nations opposing his Greenland annexation push. “Decisions on attendance are determined by the respective government. We can affirm that the Danish government will not participate in Davos this week,” stated the WEF representative.
There are notable absences among those not attending.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is not listed on WEF’s attendance list, nor are Brazil’s and India’s leaders.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni are missing from the WEF roster, although both are said to be going.
Major economic nations
Last week, during a press gathering, WEF organizers noted that representatives from six G7 countries are expected to participate, marking a “historic” moment, according to WEF president Børge Brende.
In 2025, the sole G7 leader at Davos in person was then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Alongside President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also attend in person.
Downing Street declined to confirm if UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer would be present — he skipped last year’s forum — but it’s reported that he is anticipated to attend.
In an emergency press conference on Monday, Starmer commented on Trump’s recent escalation of tariffs aimed at various European nations, including the UK, should Greenland not be transferred to the U.S. However, when the BBC inquired if he would contemplate meeting Trump “this week,” Starmer did not provide a direct response.
UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves will be attending and will appear on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Wednesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is not listed on the WEF roster, but it appears she may remain in Japan, as she declared on Monday a snap election for Feb. 8.
‘More CEOs attending’
Davos will take place from Monday evening through Friday morning. This year’s theme is “A spirit of dialogue,” with an agenda centered on five key topics: the geopolitical landscape, AI, climate and nature, new avenues for economic growth, and “people and preparedness.”
However, according to Eric Kutcher, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, a “strategic partner” to WEF, the focus will be more on the attendees than the topics discussed. “The emphasis will be on who is present,” he stated in a video shared by the company. “Far more than the topics themselves,” Kutcher remarked.
Trump’s entourage is expected to include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. The president is slated to address the gathering on Wednesday.
WEF’s founder, Klaus Schwab, is one significant figure who will not be at Davos. After decades of overseeing the event, Schwab stepped down in April following an inquiry into alleged misconduct. He was later exonerated of “serious wrongdoing.”
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Roche vice-chair Andre Hoffman have been named WEF’s interim co-chairs as of August, and the organization’s new leadership is “actively working to reinstate the economic focus of WEF, bringing in more CEOs,” Kutcher stated.
In addition to Nvidia’s Huang, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis are confirmed attendees at WEF. OpenAI’s CFO Sarah Friar is also set to participate, but the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, is not scheduled to attend.
Crucial market-related issues include U.S. plans concerning Greenland acquisition, political unrest in Venezuela, and the potential military action against Iran by Trump. Investors will also be attentive to updates from AI companies, central bank communications, and reports regarding companies diversifying from the U.S.
While some notable politicians will be absent, some leaders who will be in attendance — like Argentina’s Javier Milei and Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto — are not to be overlooked, according to Jan Aart Scholte, a professor focusing on global shifts and governance issues at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Governments continue to perceive Davos as a venue for engagement with the business sector, he added. “Global capital remains a formidable influence in world affairs, even if major multinational companies are generally viewed with less favor now than in two or three decades ago,” he remarked via email to CNBC on Monday.
Who’s absent from the list
While WEF indicated that “nearly” 65 heads of state are set to attend, along with prominent figures like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, many well-known names are missing from the list.
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not expected to address the audience. Nevertheless, Brende characterized India’s delegation as “strong,” noting that leaders from other Asian economies, including Indonesia and Pakistan, will be present.
China’s President Xi is not anticipated to show up, but Brende indicated that a substantial Chinese delegation is expected, featuring trade and finance Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is scheduled to speak on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is effectively his country’s leader, is not on WEF’s attendance list. However, several Saudi ministers, including Finance Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan, will be interviewed by CNBC during the conference.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday that he would no longer be attending the forum following a tragic incident involving two high-speed trains that collided in the south of Spain, resulting in 39 fatalities.
A former Davos critic makes an appearance
Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, is slated to be present at this year’s gathering. Farage has previously labeled Davos as “elite”, stating that attendees were “the ones determining our futures in luxurious Swiss ski lodges” in a 2020 video.
Indeed, Davos has been perceived by some as elitist and disconnected, according to Scholte. “Populist-nationalist circles frequently regard the WEF as a symbol of a liberal globalist elite, which fuels their discontent,” he stated in an email to CNBC.
– CNBC’s Leonie Kidd contributed to this article.
