Klaus Schwab

Klaus Schwab is a prominent German economist, engineer, and author, best known as the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Born in 1938 in Ravensburg, Germany, he earned doctorates in both economics and engineering before launching the WEF in 1971 as a platform to foster dialogue between global political, business, and academic leaders. Under his leadership, the annual Davos summit became a key global event addressing economic development, environmental sustainability, and technological transformation.

As an author, Schwab has written extensively on issues related to globalization, innovation, and the impact of emerging technologies on society. His most well-known work, The Fourth Industrial Revolution (2016), explores how artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, and other innovations are fundamentally reshaping economies and human life. In follow-up works like Shaping the Future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Stakeholder Capitalism, Klaus Schwab advocates for a more inclusive and sustainable economic model, placing human values at the core of global progress.

Among Schwab’s most quoted insights is: “In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish.” This reflects his belief in the accelerating pace of change and the need for agility. Another significant quote is: “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy,” often cited in discussions about future societal models, though sometimes misunderstood or taken out of context. Through his leadership and writing, Klaus Schwab continues to shape global conversations around technology, equity, and the future of capitalism.