WEF Founder Klaus Schwab Under Investigation For Workplace Misconduct And Misuse Of Funds

World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab is in hot water.

An internal investigation by the WEF has revealed that founder Klaus Schwab misused WEF funds for personal use and acted inappropriately toward female employees.

Schwab, who stepped down as chairman of the WEF in April of this year, has denied the allegations.

Live Mint had these details to report on the investigation:

An internal investigation commissioned by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has revealed a troubling pattern of workplace misconduct by its founder, Klaus Schwab, over the past decade. As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the probe—initiated in April following a whistleblower complaint—alleges bullying, inappropriate behavior toward female employees, and unauthorized personal spending.

In one instance, Schwab reportedly sent a late-night email to a senior female executive in June 2020, asking: “Do you feel that I am thinking of you?” According to the news outlet, investigators cited the message as potentially inappropriate and indicative of a broader culture of favoritism and fear under Schwab’s leadership.

Schwab and his wife, Hilde Schwab, are alleged to have submitted over $1.1 million in travel expenses, much of which investigators flagged as questionable. These included first-class flights for Hilde—who held no formal role at the Forum—and personal trips to Venice, Miami, Seychelles, and Morocco totaling around $63,000, with minimal evidence of business activity, WSJ reported.

Investigators also noted 14 hotel massages billed to the World Economic Forum through corporate cards or junior staff, though Schwab said he reimbursed about half and had instructed aides to bill him personally.

“Throughout this journey, Hilde and I never used the Forum for personal enrichment,” Schwab said in a statement via a spokesman. He maintained that any mistakes were unintentional and pledged to repay any misallocated funds after the probe’s final report.

Interviews with over 50 current and former staff painted a picture of an organization ruled by fear. Schwab allegedly sidelined pregnant women and older female employees, affecting their careers and mental well-being. One source described Schwab’s leadership style as operating the Forum like his “fiefdom”, using intimidation to maintain control.

World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct over the past decade, an internal probe found.

🔗: https://t.co/MFms1afhFf pic.twitter.com/ByBAFspwKO

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 23, 2025

The Economic Times of India had more details to report on Schwab’s alleged conduct:

World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab denied allegations of misconduct that were reportedly substantiated by a formal investigation and accused the board of trustees of violating an agreement regarding media discretion on the matter.

“I am in a position to refute all the accusations brought up against me,” Schwab said in a statement, responding to a report in SonntagsZeitung. The Swiss newspaper said preliminary findings by Swiss law firm Homburger support allegations that Schwab manipulated economic reports published by the forum and submitted unjustifiably high expense claims.

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The investigation, commissioned by the WEF’s board of trustees, is examining a range of accusations against the 87-year-old, including claims he used the forum’s resources for personal purposes.

According to excerpts cited by the newspaper, Homburger’s investigation found that Schwab repeatedly intervened to influence country rankings in the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report for political purposes.

The investigation also scrutinized some 900,000 Swiss francs ($1.12 million) in expenses submitted by Schwab and his wife Hilde that allegedly lacked sufficient ties to WEF activities, the newspaper said.

Klaus Schwab emerged from the shadows this week and appeared at the Association of South East Asian Nations summit in Indonesia, taking the opportunity to issue a chilling threat against humanity.

While lecturing the heads of state and world leaders about their responsibilities… pic.twitter.com/soumlSVrDg

— illuminatibot (@iluminatibot) September 17, 2023