Ave Caesar, More Oscars 2026 less WEF-26 !

The WEF Annual Meeting 2026, held from 19–23 January in Davos, under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue", felt less like a traditional global policy forum and more like a carefully choreographed U.S. political spectacle. At times, the atmosphere resembled an Oscars ceremony, one overwhelmingly centered on Donald Trump. Much of the week was consumed by anticipation of his remarks, followed by exhaustive commentary dissecting every word of his speech.

A central figure behind the scale and execution of this year’s meeting was Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, who served as Interim Co-Chair of the WEF. Under his stewardship, Davos 2026 reached an impressive level of organization and participation. The meeting convened more than 1,000 CEOs and board chairs alongside over 65 heads of state and government, collectively representing approximately 40 percent of the world’s population.

In addition, the Forum welcomed a strong cohort of innovative startups and high-impact NGOs. Outside the United Nations, this marked the largest gathering of global leadership in the post-COVID era, an achievement that speaks to Fink’s influence and execution. It is therefore unsurprising that speculation has emerged about the possibility of relocating future WEF annual meetings outside Davos, potentially to a U.S. city! 

Having attended Davos consistently for the past 15 years, I found this year’s meeting paradoxically one of the most compelling, not for its polish or predictability, but because it broke with longstanding routines. For once, discussions moved beyond familiar and often recycled talking points on green energy slogans, crypto enthusiasm, pandemic-era frameworks, or emerging technologies that many speakers only partially grasped. 

Instead, there were substantive conversations acknowledging a genuine inflection point in global geopolitics, marked by realism rather than abstraction.

Another striking feature of Davos 2026 was the pronounced disparity in the quality and seriousness of national delegations. The contrast was difficult to ignore. U.S. companies and representatives stood out for their professionalism, strategic coherence, and depth of engagement. 

By comparison, many other delegations appeared less prepared and less impactful, reinforcing the sense that the United States had reclaimed a dominant presence on the Davos stage.

In summary, Davos 2026 was unmistakably shaped by the U.S. imprint, from the organizational rigor driven by Larry Fink’s programmatic vision, to the renewed prominence of American corporate and political leadership, and ultimately to the Hollywood-like focus surrounding Donald Trump. His presence, speech, and peace initiative dominated conversations throughout the week, making the United States not just a participant, but the defining force of this year’s Forum.