George Soros Suddenly Pulling Out of Davos Raises Questions

George Soros' absence from the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland has prompted questions and fresh conspiracy theories about the event.

The billionaire financier tweeted on January 10 that his absence was "due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict," adding that he planned to deliver a speech in Munich on February 16—a full calendar month after the WEF annual meeting began.

George Soros World Economic Forum 2022
Hungarian-born U.S. investor and philanthropist George Soros answers to questions at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on May 24, 2022. He tweeted that he would not attend the 2023 gathering because of... FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

His non-attendance—alongside inaccurate claims that the WEF's founder, Klaus Schwab, was also not attending his own conference—has fuelled unfounded speculation on social media that Soros' absence was premeditated to avoid a catastrophic event.

"Is something going down?" Lavern Spicer, a Republican candidate in Florida, wondered on Twitter. "Something is brewing..." wrote James Bradley, a GOP candidate in California.

Soros' wealth, his Jewish background and the volume of his political and philanthropic donations have made him a prime target for conspiracy theories, many of which center around him being part of a global cabal that seeks to create a new world order.

Through his Open Society Foundations, grant-giving organisations, Soros has distributed $32 billion, and was the largest individual donor in the 2022 midterms, having earlier donated vast sums to Democrat presidential bids. His role as a generous benefactor to many causes has spurred theories that he uses his wealth to influence global affairs.

Soros—a Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor—has, without evidence, been accused of being a Nazi collaborator by the likes of actress Roseanne Barr and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, a claim he has publicly refuted, as well as funding migrant crises in the U.S. and Europe.

The list goes on, with conspiracy theorists, particularly those among the QAnon movement, which promotes the view of a new world order cabal, attributing mostly anything—from coronavirus being a means of population control, to funding civil unrest—to Soros.

His absence from Davos has prompted fresh claims that the globalist cabal is planning something that would help bring about a new world order.

"You'll know we're in deep doo doo, if the plane trackers catch him and his cult brethren flying to their New Zealand bunkers," @RightKingTodd tweeted in response to the news.

Some have even gone further, suggesting a manufactured terrorist attack may take place at the meeting of world leaders. "I think there could be a massive security/terrorist event at Davos this week," Josh Reid, figurehead of the Redpill Project, a conspiracy theory outlet, wrote on Telegram.

"False flag incoming," @Jrseeker1963 wrote on Twitter.

If Soros were aware of a false-flag operation against the WEF, it would beg the question as to why his son, Alexander, chair of the Open Society Foundations, is attending the conference and has posted about his presence on social media.

Soros, meanwhile, is not the only international figure to shrug off the meeting: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will not be joining other world leaders there, and neither will Rishi Sunak, the U.K. Prime Minister, French President Emmanuel Macron or Brazil's new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Klaus Schwab World Economic Forum 2023
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab delivers a speech during the "Crystal Award" ceremony at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 16, 2023. It was erroneously suggested that Schwab would... FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

The dwindling popularity of the conference, with the backdrop of a war in Ukraine and a heavily sanctioned Russia, suggests that its vision for a globalised society may be waning in the current geopolitical climate.

The decline may also be a matter of relevance. Schwab, 84, has been the WEF's leader since he founded the organisation in 1971, and is reportedly reluctant to discuss his successor. Schwab's synonymity with Davos, and his advancing years, may risk tying the future of the conference to his own.

"Everyone's talking about it," one anonymous WEF strategic partner told Politico news outlet. "And the whole thing [WEF] could fall apart if they don't sort it out."

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Aleks Phillips is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. ... Read more

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