The World Economic Forum in Davos is drawing criticism from wealthy attendees who say the summit has shifted from substantive global cooperation to corporate showcases and political pageantry. President Trump’s return coincided with brand activations lining the Promenade and a privately funded “USA House” near a Palantir pavilion. Protest messages and public jeering at some events highlighted tensions, while observers say the forum is becoming more business‑focused under BlackRock’s influence.
Davos Critics Say Summit Has Become ‘Mar‑a‑Lago’ Pageantry and SXSW‑Style Corporate Showcase
Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
Wealthy attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos are voicing frustration that the gathering has tilted from substantive international cooperation toward spectacle, corporate marketing and political pageantry.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks outside the USA House in Davos. / Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images
With President Donald Trump attending the summit for the first time since 2020, participants told reporters and posted in group chats that the famous Davos Promenade increasingly resembles a trade-show aisle — lined with brand activations from major tech companies including Meta, TikTok, Coinbase and Stripe, according to Vanity Fair.
Some attendees griped that the famous Davos Promenade is lined with brand activations from tech giants and likened the event to SXSW, the tech and film festival held in Austin. / Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images
Not far from those activations, Alex Karp’s Palantir erected a prominent “Palantir Pavilion” opposite a privately funded “USA House” housed in a 142‑year‑old church. Vanity Fair reported that crowds formed outside USA House to get near members of the president’s entourage, which included White House AI and crypto adviser David Sacks, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Eric Trump, Jared Kushner and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Donald Trump speaks with Apple CEO Tim Cook during a reception with business leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. / Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
But Trump's return has not been universally welcomed. As he arrived in the Alps, someone had carved the message “TRUMP GO HOME” into the snow, and onlookers were photographed wearing shirts reading “Make Science Great Again” and “Make Europe Great Again.” When Lutnick attempted to speak at a VIP dinner hosted by BlackRock’s Larry Fink, the Financial Times reported he was met with widespread jeering and that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde left the event early.
What Observers Are Saying
Commentators and longtime Davos observers say the forum’s character has shifted since its founding in 1971. Peter Goodman, The New York Times’s Davos specialist, argues the summit has moved away from genuine policy-focused cooperation toward a sanitized, business-first atmosphere.
“It seems pretty clear that Larry Fink of BlackRock, who took over from Klaus Schwab, is leaning into making this purely a business conference,” Goodman said. “All the former buzzwords — social justice, sustainability — have gone. They’ve sanitized virtually every part of it to make the Trump administration feel welcome. It was a big score that they got Trump to attend.”
Goodman added that, if any virtue signaling remains, it now appears aimed at accommodating the Trump administration rather than promoting global ideals. Journalists sought comment from the White House on these developments.
The mix of politics, PR activations and protest illustrates how Davos — once primarily a policy forum — is evolving into a hybrid event that blends business networking, brand marketing and political theater.
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