DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) – The World Economic Forum says billionaire Elon Musk was not on the guest list for the annual gathering of corporate executives, global leaders and cultural trendsetters in Davos, Switzerland — despite claims by the Twitter owner.
Figures from EU leader Ursula von der Leyen to actor Idris Elba gather in the posh Alpine town this week to discuss global issues ranging from war to climate change and the impact of technology on security.
Musk wasn’t there, although he says he was invited. Forum spokesman Yann Zopf slammed that Tuesday, saying the last time the Tesla CEO received an invite was “not this year and not recently — the last time was in 2015.”
Musk said in a tweet Dec. 22: “My reason for turning down Davos’ invitation wasn’t because I thought they were involved in devilish intrigue, but because it sounded boring.”
He didn’t specify when he received the invite, but the timing of the tweet suggested it was for this year. Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Organizers invited Musk, as the head of Tesla, to attend a few times in the 2010s — the last time in 2015 — but he never registered or attended the annual meeting, Zopf said.
The meeting has been criticized for a lack of concrete action, which emerged after a series of sessions and speeches, while the forum itself has been the target of online conspiracy theories from those who believe the meeting involves a group of elites who plan global events for manipulate oneself advantage.
Multi-billionaire Musk, one of the richest people in the world, can certainly afford to attend Davos.
Forum members pay between 120,000 and 850,000 Swiss francs (130,000 to 921,000 US dollars) for an annual membership, depending on the desired membership level.
Many executives flock to Davos to ride the meeting’s coattails and associate with corporate executives who flock to the city, sometimes firing at the forum from the sidelines. For example, Richard Branson, the British tycoon behind Virgin, is said to have come to town on several occasions without attending the meeting itself.
TOPSHOT – Participants are seen during a session of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos January 17, 2023. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)FABRIC COFFRINI via Getty Images
Musk might be a bit busy messing with the powers that be in snowy Switzerland anyway.
While still grappling with the aftermath of last year’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter, Musk is on trial over his tweet about Tesla’s privatization in 2018.
Jury selection begins this week and he must explain his actions under oath in a San Francisco court after tweeting that he arranged financing for a $72 billion buyout of the electric-car maker that never happened. It culminated in a $40 million settlement with US securities regulators that also required his resignation as the company’s chief executive officer.
He also plans to step down as CEO but retain ownership of Twitter, which he successfully privatized last summer but alienated some users and advertisers with messy job cuts and changes to content moderation policies.