World Economic Forum starts in Davos without Russian representatives

This is reported by Bloomberg.

“It wasn’t so long ago that Russian billionaires were a fixture at Davos, as commonplace as Moncler puffer coats. This year there are zero. The war in Ukraine and Russia’s ostracization by the West have effectively banished the oligarchs from the annual confab of capitalist elites,” the publication noted. 

About 116 billionaires are registered to participate in this year's event, a 40% increase from ten years ago. The forum will last until January 20. In addition to the absent Russians, there are no representatives of China at the forum this year, as the country is experiencing another wave of the coronavirus.

The last time the event was held live was in 2020, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the forum was held online, and in 2022, the event was moved from winter to summer for the first time in history.