The year is 1971.
German engineer Klaus Schwab is sitting in a villainous armchair surrounded by henchmen, engaging in their favorite Friday night tradition of sipping Ruinart and mainlining no less than 40 cc’s of adrenochrome, when the idea hits him.
‘A forum must be created,’ he says over the haze of smoke and multiple masked orgies occurring beside him, stroking a snow-white Siamese cat, geeked out of his mind off the child-blood-drug coursing through his veins. ‘A forum where we tell the peasants to eat bugs and shower less, while we — the enlightened economic elite of the world — continue our life of… [gestures around the room]... luxury…’
‘Like a World Economic Forum, sir?’ chimes in his plucky young apprentice, William Henry Gates III.
‘Yes…,’ replies Schwab before an uncomfortably long laugh. ‘A World Economic Forum...’
Thus, WEF was born — officially an “international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank” with a stated mission of “improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.”
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