Microsoft and McKinsey pay up to $1mn each to back Donald Trump’s Davos hub

Open the White House Watch newsletter for free

Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business, and the world

Microsoft and McKinsey are among the US companies that have paid up to $1 million each to sponsor the Davos venue that will serve as a base for US government officials during president Donald Trump’s trip to the World Economic Forum later this month.

Paying for the venue, located in a chapel in the Swiss ski resort, would give major corporations the opportunity to “support the US delegation in Davos” and put their brand in front of “global decision-makers,” according to a website created for the so-called “USA House.”

Microsoft, McKinsey and cryptocurrency company Ripple were among the companies that signed up as sponsors, ahead of Trump’s first in-person appearance in Davos in six years. JPMorgan Chase has also been approached to serve as a sponsor.

The forum, which has been held in Davos since 1971, has long operated an informal “house” system in which countries and companies rent local shops and hotels to turn them into places where they can host events and network.

Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Belgium are among the countries that have operated these centers in recent years.

The US House of Representatives’ effort is being led by Richard Stromback, a former ice hockey player turned investor who has been a well-known figure in Davos for more than a decade.

Stromback is known for organizing parties at the event, and once told The New Yorker magazine that he wanted to create a “Burning Man for billionaires,” a reference to the famous week-long festival in the Nevada desert.

USA House events will be held mostly in a chapel founded in the 1880s located just outside the famous park — and outside the forum’s security perimeter. The English Church will be covered in memorabilia to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776.

With two weeks until global leaders and senior executives gather in the Swiss Alps, there are few details on the US House website about programming other than a list of topics that include “Peace through Strength,” “Digital Assets and Economic Resilience” and “Faith-Based Initiatives.”

Those wishing to attend were informed that there would be strict security protocols due to the presence of senior US administration officials. But the site also notes that USA House is “privately regulated” and “does not represent the US government.”

Trump is preparing for his return to the global forum, where this year’s theme will be “The Spirit of Dialogue,” and his intervention in Venezuela and its impact on oil will likely be a major point of discussion among attendees. His last appearance was a virtual speech days after his inauguration last January, in which the president criticized the Paris climate agreement and promised to “unleash the liquid gold” of fossil fuels.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Microsoft, McKinsey, Ripple, and JPMorgan declined to comment.

Additional reporting by Elisheva Kissin