World Economic Forum

Extracted Attributes

• Founded

  1971-01-24

• Founder

  Klaus Schwab

• Staff Size

  550 to 1,000 employees

• Headquarters

  Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland

• Organization Type

  International advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank

• Davos Participants

  3,000 individuals

• Notable Publication

  Global Risks Report

• Primary Funding Source

  1,000 member multinational companies

• Annual Meeting Location

  Davos, Switzerland

Timeline

• The organization is founded as the European Management Forum by German engineer Klaus Schwab. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1971-01-24

• The organization is renamed to the World Economic Forum to reflect its broader international mission. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1987-01-01

• Argentine President Javier Milei delivers a viral speech at the Davos meeting denouncing collectivism and socialism. (Source: fb009ead-fe3d-4f58-bfc8-0a9d2c19cec9)

  2024-01-17

• Scheduled start of the 56th Annual Meeting in Davos under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue. (Source: World Economic Forum Website)

  2026-01-19

World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer Klaus Schwab. The foundation's stated mission is "improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas". The foundation is mostly funded by its 1,000 member multi-national companies. The WEF is mostly known for its annual meeting at the end of January in Davos, a mountain resort in the canton of Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland. The meeting brings together some 3,000 paying members and selected participants – among whom are investors, business leaders, political leaders, economists, celebrities and journalists – for up to five days to discuss global issues across 500 sessions. Aside from Davos, the organization convenes regional conferences, it produces a series of reports, engages its members in sector-specific initiatives and provides a platform for leaders from selected stakeholder groups to collaborate on projects and initiatives. The World Economic Forum and its annual meeting in Davos have received criticism over the years, including allegations of the organization's corporate capture of global and democratic institutions, institutional whitewashing initiatives, the public cost of security, the organization's tax-exempt status, unclear decision processes and membership criteria, a lack of financial transparency, and the environmental footprint of its annual meetings.

Web Search Results

• World Economic Forum - Wikipedia

  The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer Klaus Schwab. The foundation's stated mission is "improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas". The foundation is mostly funded by its 1,000 member multi-national companies. [...] The flagship event of the World Economic Forum is the invitation-only annual meeting held at the end of January in Davos, Switzerland, bringing together chief executive officers from its 1,000 member companies, as well as selected politicians, representatives from academia, NGOs, religious leaders, and the media in an alpine environment. The winter discussions ostensibly focus around key issues of global concern (such as the globalization, capital markets, wealth management, international [...] The WEF was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, a business professor at the University of Geneva. First named the European Management Forum, it changed its name to the World Economic Forum in 1987 and sought to broaden its vision to include providing a platform for resolving international conflicts.

• [PDF] Our Mission - World Economic Forum: Publications

  World Economic Forum www.weforum.org Our Mission Entrepreneurship in the global public interest The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971, and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. [...] 1,500 Global Experts The World Economic Forum is the world’s most significant multistakeholder organization, bringing together leaders from business, society and government to work together to improve the state of the world. [...] World Economic Forum 17 The World Economic Forum 18 2012 - All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system. ISBN-10: 92-95044-61-4 ISBN-13: 978-92-95044-61-6 The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to

• World Economic Forum | LinkedIn

  # World Economic Forum N/A Non-profit Organizations • Cologny, Geneva • 5,496,986 followers • 501-1,000 employees ## Overview We are the international institution for public private cooperation. We connect communities of leaders around global issues through high-level meetings, research, initiatives and digital networks. We are non-profit, impartial and independent. We believe dialogue and cooperation between business, government and civil society can improve the state of the world. [...] fact from fiction: [Likes: 10, Comments: 3]; World Economic Forum (10h): The World Economic Forum ’s 56th Annual Meeting will take place in #Davos -Klosters, Switzerland (19–23 January 2026) under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue. Amid rising global fragmentation and accelerating technological and societal shifts, the meeting embodies the Forum’s long-standing mission to foster openness, cooperation and trust. Leaders from business, government, civil society and beyond will come together to [...] ## Locations 91-93, Route de la Capite, Cologny, Geneva CH-1223, CH, 350 Madison Ave, New York, 10017, US, World Financial Centre 501-503, West Tower No. 1, East 3rd Ring Middle Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, Beijing 100020, CN, 1201 Ralston Ave, San Francisco, CA 94129, US, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 49F 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-6149, JP ### Get Directions Directions, Directions, Directions, Directions, Directions

• The World Economic Forum

  Join our movement to source and scale purpose-driven start-ups working to solve the world's biggest challenges. Discover more Explore and monitor the issues and forces driving transformational change across economies, industries, and global issues. Discover more ENES中文日本語 Remove menu [...] World Economic Forum & AP govt enter into pact for cyber-secure green energywww.newindianexpress.com WEF says AI, robotics, nanotech to transform agriculture; cites case studies from Indiawww.livemint.com WEF President Brende warns of AI bubblewww.handelsblatt.com WEF chief warns: 'There could be concerns about bubbles developing in AI or crypto'www.telegraaf.nl Report identifies ten emerging tech solutions to enhance planetary healthnews.mongabay.com ## Forum’s digital initiatives [...] ## Spotlight More Stories Latest analysis, insights and explainers from across the Forum. Forum in Focus 5 defining questions for 2026 Artificial Intelligence AI paradoxes: 5 contradictions to watch in 2026 and why AI's future isn't straightforward Forum in Focus Davos 2026: The World Economic Forum's 56th Annual Meeting takes place under the theme ‘A Spirit of Dialogue’ Forum in Focus Curious about what happens at Davos? Here’s what to know Circular Economy

• World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026

  # World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 'A Spirit of Dialogue' 19–23 January 2026 #### About the meeting World leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will convene in Davos to engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities. The call for bold collective action makes the meeting particularly relevant. #### Explore the key themes

• Image

  

• Country

  Switzerland

• Founder

  Klaus Schwab

• Employees

  550

• Instance Of

  Q163740

• Coordinates

  Lat: 46.225269444, Lon: 6.191688888

• Notable Work

  Global Risks Report

• Headquarters

  Cologny

• Inception Date

  1/1/1971