Davos 2025: 4 Key Insights from the World Economic Forum

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The 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) coincided with President Trump’s inauguration, and sadly his open dislike for internationalism was at odds with the conference’s focus on “collaborative innovation” and avoiding an “Age of Fragmentation.”

Although some have questioned the effectiveness of the event at Davos, the World Economic Forum still attracts significant global media attention.

Given Davos’ strong influence at this pivotal moment for the world’s economies and markets, staying informed is essential for effectively managing reputations, risks, and opportunities.

Our Roxhill News team analysed 9,121 articles during the event, identifying 426 key stories. 

We condensed the coverage into incisive daily reports, driven by the editorial insight of our Singapore analysts and delivered to WEF delegates before breakfast in Switzerland.

Looking back at the week as a whole, four key trends from this year’s WEF coverage stand out.

1. The US media had other things on their mind

US journalists accounted for a mere 18% of Davos coverage this year, versus 36% in 2024.

Donald Trump’s inauguration deflected domestic attention, especially notable because the new US President loomed large in global coverage of the event.

There was some truth in Peter Thal Larsen’s early characterisation of the conference as “the world’s most exclusive watch party” during the inauguration on Monday, as Europe’s eyes were fixed on Washington DC.

This sharply contrasted with the widely reported comments of Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy who asked “will President Trump even notice Europe?”.

2. Is Davos becoming a focal point for conflicting ideologies?

Notably absent in news coverage of the event were references to the WEF’s principle of collaboration.

Instead, the impression given of the conference was as a platform for individuals and organisations to get their ideologies heard – often in conflict with one another.

The WEF came under attack from Greenpeace. Intensified protests drew significant attention as the group blockaded Davos’ heliport and smuggled activists past the WEF’s security. 

More unusually, the campaign group Patriotic Millionaires targeted the concentration of wealth and power at Davos to distribute an open letter, claiming that Trump’s oligarchy is a “threat to global stability”.

Trump and his administration also had a role to play in stoking this conflict. The President’s promise to “drill baby drill” was in direct opposition to UN Secretary General António Guterres, who said that the world’s “addiction” to fossil fuels “spares nothing and no one”.

3. CEOs play both sides of the Atlantic

In an interview with CNBC, JPMorgan CEO, Jamie Dimon said business leaders should “get over it” when it comes to anticipated US tariffs; “If it’s a little inflationary but it’s good for national security, so be it”. This laissez-faire approach reflects a broader mood among business leaders – as the Financial Times (FT) put it there is “optimism but not confidence as Trump takes control”.

Outwardly, CEOs were careful to appear open to doing business with Trump while also participating in talks at Davos. Throughout the week many were treading a fine line between official named spokespeople and senior anonymous sources – often quoted in the FT. 

The head of a “large sovereign wealth fund” stated that “it’s pretty consensual that things are going really well for America and it looks really negative for Europe”. 

An executive at a “major US bank” warned of “peak pessimism” about the future of Europe and its economies, while a “big Silicon Valley investor” said “we are seeing real ‘End of Empire’ stuff in the US”.

4. Presence and influence

Global presence and influence

CNBC asserted that the list of leaders not in attendance at Davos “speaks volumes”, and it’s true that some of the loudest voices originated thousands of miles from Switzerland. 

The timing of Trump’s inauguration highlighted that being absent from the WEF is no indication of a lack of global influence.

China’s President Xi Jinping and India’s PM Narendra Modi drew attention for not attending the conference. It’s notable that at his last Davos attendance in 2017 (at the beginning of Trump’s first term) Xi Jinping defended globalisation and warned that populism could lead to “war, poverty, confrontation, and domination”.

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