The biggest topics at Davos will impact everyone

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The billionaires and business execs are hitting the slopes.

A sleepy ski town tucked in the Swiss Alps is being taken over by the world's elite (and a bunch of journalists) for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

(If you want to see how you get to this town, here's how I did it. And no, it wasn't by private jet.)

Your immediate reaction to Davos might be a massive eye roll. Davos has gotten a reputation in recent years as a gathering of the elite who are out of touch with everyday people.

This year, though, some of the biggest topics at Davos will impact everyone. You can follow everything that's going on in our live blog and with our special Davos newsletter.

Let's break it down:

Trump: In all honesty, the conversation around Davos largely starts (and arguably ends) with the president's appearance on Wednesday. He famously skipped attending the event in person last year (he had just been inaugurated). Instead, he offered a blistering virtual address that largely attacked the rest of the world.

This time, he's coming with a big contingent, and it's the talk of the town. He's already said a focus of his speech will largely be affordability, interestingly choosing a US-specific issue on the global stage. (It is America First, after all.)

California Governor Gavin Newsom is also coming to town. He plans to argue that Trump's economic agenda has been a failure. It's another example of the ever-evolving future of capitalism, a topic we've been closely covering this year.

Tariffs: Tariffs have been a staple of Trump's second term, and they don't appear to be going anywhere. Their impact is also felt worldwide, making them a perfect fit for the global Davos crowd.

Their latest iteration is a threat Trump is wielding against countries that oppose his plan to take over Greenland. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said controlling Greenland is actually about Trump trying to avoid conflict.

AI: You didn't think you'd get through this without an AI mention, did you? Last year, the word of the conference was "agentic AI." This year it feels like three letters will be top of mind: ROI. The bets have been placed, and they are big, but what is AI doing for companies?

Also expect some chatter about how the tech is affecting workforce headcounts.