In a striking reversal of his longstanding public stance, Elon Musk has made a surprise appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This marks the Tesla and SpaceX CEO's first visit to the annual gathering of global political and business elites, an event he has repeatedly criticised and mocked on his social media platform, X.
A Notable Panel Appearance
According to the latest World Economic Forum programme, the world's richest person joined BlackRock CEO Larry Fink on a panel scheduled for 1530 GMT on Thursday. Musk's participation represents a significant shift, given his history as one of the WEF's most prominent and vocal critics.
History of Public Criticism
For several years, Musk has regularly derided the Davos gathering, characterising it as elitist, unaccountable, and disconnected from ordinary people. On his platform X, he has labelled the event "boring" and described the WEF as "an unelected world government that the people never asked for and don't want."
Musk's Expanding Global Role
His appearance at Davos coincides with his continued involvement in several high-profile global debates. These include SpaceX's provision of satellite internet to conflict zones via its Starlink network and public controversy surrounding sexualised images generated by Grok, an AI chatbot developed by his startup xAI.
Musk's political influence has been elevated through his status as an ally of US President Donald Trump, granting him unusual sway over policy discussions spanning technology, defence, and global communications. Several of his companies are of direct interest to governments worldwide.
Corporate Interests Under Scrutiny
SpaceX operates as a major US defence contractor, while the Starlink network's activities in conflict zones draw significant geopolitical attention. Meanwhile, X, the social media platform he controls, faces ongoing criticism over changes to its moderation policies, with accusations of enabling misinformation and hate speech.
Trump's Davos Agenda and Arctic Developments
The forum also featured an address by President Donald Trump on Wednesday. During his speech, Trump insisted the United States is the sole nation capable of securing Greenland and pitched a takeover of the island. Hours later, he announced the abandonment of planned tariffs on European nations that supported Greenland.
Trump stated that a "framework of a future deal" for Greenland had been reached. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte later revealed initial details of the possible agreement following discussions with Trump at Davos.
Rutte indicated that NATO allies would be required to enhance their presence in the Arctic under the framework discussed with Trump. He added that further details would be worked out with the alliance's senior commanders "within months."
Elon Musk's unexpected participation at the World Economic Forum underscores his complex and evolving role on the global stage, blending technological entrepreneurship with increasing political and diplomatic engagement.
