WEF founder Klaus Schwab created a toxic and hostile work environment for women and people of color.
World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab has been accused of sexual harassment, discrimination, and various forms of inappropriate behavior by several employees.
Multiple female staffers at the WEF have gone on record to accuse Schwab of sexual harassment.
Schwab is also accused of discriminating against women and black people.
The allegations were exposed during an investigation by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the outlet, multiple staffers alleged that Schwab creates a hostile work environment.
The report quotes internal complaints, email exchanges, and interviews with staff members and people aware of the practices.
Among the allegations of discrimination was Schwab’s policy of firing employees over 50, an apparent move to lower the average age of the workforce.
The investigation found that the WEF human resources chief Paolo Gallo refused to comply with this directive without valid performance-related reasons.
However, when Gallo refused to comply, Schwab fired him.
In 2017, Schwab reportedly dismissed a young female employee after she informed him she was pregnant.
The woman said Schwab expressed displeasure that she wouldn’t be able to work at the same pace.
Many other female staffers also reported being pushed out or facing career setbacks after becoming pregnant or returning from maternity leave.
At least six female employees were reportedly sacked or saw their career paths negatively affected after getting pregnant or returning from maternity leave.
Under Schwab’s oversight of the forum, “an atmosphere hostile to women and black people” in the workplace was “allowed to fester,” the media outlet said.
Internal complaints have also been filed after black employees were unapologetically called out and excluded from the forum or prevented from promotion.
Forum managers used the N-word around black employees, according to internal complaints obtained by the journal.
Black people had been reportedly passed over for promotions or “left out of Davos.”
Meanwhile, half a dozen women said they were allegedly sexually harassed by senior managers, some of whom still remain at the organization.
Two women told the outlet that they were sexually harassed years ago by VIP guests at WEF gatherings.
Other female staffers cited incidents involving suggestive comments and inappropriate behavior by senior managers.
Schwab, who formally left his role as executive chairman last month, himself was described as setting a tone of sexualization and objectification from the top.
Multiple accounts from victims accuse Schwab of making women uncomfortable with his remarks and behavior.
“I knew he liked me and I knew he found me pretty,” said one woman by the name of Mryiam Boussina.
“Every man with a lot of power, they think that they can get any woman and they are not ashamed.”
“There was a lot of pressure to be good-looking and wear tight dresses,” added another woman who worked at the WEF in the 2010s.
“Never in my career have I experienced looks being such an important topic as in the Forum.”
Another staffer claimed that Schwab made suggestive comments and even physically posed suggestively in front of her.
During one incident, Schwab said he wished she was Hawaiian and said he wanted to see her in a revealing costume.
“I need to find you a man, and if I were not married, I would put myself on the top of that list,” Schwab is reported to have said to his subordinates on multiple occasions.
Schwab has vehemently denied all the allegations, however.
The chief globalist insists he behaved professionally at all times.
“Mr. Schwab does not and has never engaged in the vulgar behaviors you describe,” a WEF spokesman said.
The spokesman added that the Journal’s reporting “mischaracterizes our organization, culture, and colleagues, including our founder.”
Under his leadership, the WEF has aggressively promoted Schwab’s vision of the “Great Reset.”
The agenda aims to replace democratic governments with a system of bureaucratic global governance.
He has often praised China a a “model” of his vision and urges global governments to aspire to be more like the Chinese Communist Party.
On May 21, THAIMBC News reported that Schwab was to leave his role as executive chairman of the WEF.
After being in the position since the forum’s foundation in 1971, Schwab will now become a non-executive chairman.
