Commentary, Musings

WEF: Meet the New Boss, as Scary as the Old Boss

Posted on by Kelly McCarthy

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, born in 1944 in Austria, is a businessman appointed interim chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in April 2025, following Klaus Schwab’s resignation. His role is temporary, with a committee tasked to select a permanent chair. He last made headlines when he declared that access to clean water was not a “human right” and that access to tap water should be controlled by corporations.

Background

Brabeck-Letmathe earned an economics degree from Vienna’s University of World Trade and joined Nestlé in 1968. He served as CEO (1997–2008) and chairman (until 2017), significantly expanding the company. He has held board positions at Credit Suisse, L’Oréal, ExxonMobil, and Roche, and chairs the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) Foundation. A long-time WEF trustee, he was vice-chairman of its Foundation Board before becoming interim chair.

Influence and Criticisms

  • WEF Leadership: As interim WEF chairman, Brabeck-Letmathe oversees an organization criticized for promoting global corporate interests over national sovereignty. The WEF, hosting the Davos summit, is often accused of advancing neoliberal policies that prioritize elite agendas. His deep ties to the WEF and Schwab position him as a central figure in this controversial network.
  • Water Privatization Stance: In the 2005 documentary We Feed the World, Brabeck-Letmathe argued against water as a universal public right, advocating privatization as a practical approach. Critics view this as prioritizing corporate profits over public welfare, reinforcing perceptions of him as an elite detached from societal needs.
  • Macron Connection: In 2007, during the Attali Commission, Brabeck-Letmathe collaborated with Emmanuel Macron, involving him in Nestlé’s acquisition of Pfizer’s infant nutrition division. This engagement aided Macron’s career ascent, fueling perceptions of Brabeck-Letmathe as a power broker influencing global leadership.
  • Corporate and Global Networks: His membership in the European Round Table of Industrialists and board roles at ExxonMobil and Roche connect him to influential corporate circles. Critics argue these networks, with the WEF as a hub, enable coordinated economic and policy influence, often at the expense of democratic accountability.
  • Conspiracy Allegations: Social media posts on X associate Brabeck-Letmathe with a “New World Order” or groups like Bilderberg and the Club of Rome, alleging he supports technocratic control. No verifiable evidence in the sources confirms these affiliations or a conspiratorial agenda, though his WEF role and water comments amplify distrust.
Brabeck-Letmathe’s creepy Bond-villain eye condition is apparently caused by an undisclosed illness, and Nestlé refuses to explain further.

Assessment of Elite Status

Brabeck-Letmathe’s leadership of Nestlé, WEF involvement, and corporate board positions undeniably place him among the global elite. His water privatization views and role in Macron’s rise highlight his influence, often criticized as serving corporate interests over public good. His prominence in institutions like the WEF fuels perceptions of him as a key figure in an elite, disconnected establishment.

For more on his WEF role, see https://www.weforum.org/press/2025/04/world-economic-forum-announces-governance-transition

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