After years of exchanging pointed criticisms with its organizers, billionaire Elon Musk is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos for the very first time.
Musk was confirmed as a last-minute participant for a Thursday afternoon session, where he will converse with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.
The appearance of Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Inc., SpaceX, and xAI, signifies a dramatic reversal in the dynamic between the planet's wealthiest individual and the prestigious event that lures global leaders, billionaires, and international media to the Swiss Alps each January.
This development follows an appearance by his ally, former US President Donald Trump, who delivered a speech exceeding an hour on Wednesday, covering topics from censorship to US sovereignty over Greenland. Musk had received an invitation the previous year but did not attend.
Musk has previously derided the annual congregation of the global elite as "boring" and criticized the WEF as an organization that is "increasingly becoming an unelected world government that the people never asked for and don’t want."
"How is WEF/Davos even a thing? Are they trying to be the boss of Earth!?" he posted on his X social media platform in 2023.
The WEF—a Geneva-based nonprofit focused on fostering public-private cooperation to "serve society and the planet"—has responded in a similar vein. A spokesperson stated in 2023 that Musk had not been invited since 2015.
The frosty relationship began to warm last year when organizers extended invitations to both the newly elected Trump and Musk. The WEF indicated that Musk was "welcome" last year due to interest in his "new role" within the Trump administration.
Although Musk has since departed his position in the Trump administration aimed at improving government efficiency, he remains at the forefront of several critical global discussions, ranging from SpaceX's provision of internet access in conflict zones like Iran and Ukraine to the controversy surrounding sexually explicit images generated by his Grok AI tool.