Billionaire Trump Backer Extols America to Davos Crowd

(Bloomberg) -- Artificial-intelligence billionaire Tom Siebel kicked off the evening festivities Tuesday in Davos with a tribute to American liquor — and America itself.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A day after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration dominated the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, the Trump-supporting founder of C3 AI hosted a whiskey-fueled event at his company’s premises at the Swiss ski resort.

ADVERTISEMENT

He spoke about how the American Revolution cut off trade with Great Britain, forcing the colonists to invent an alternative to Scotch using corn.

“In the spirit of being the ugly Americans and proud of what we are, what we have brought to you today are some of the finest bourbons made on the planet earth,” said Siebel, who is worth about $4.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

A bottle of 2004 Blanton’s bourbon and a Jack Daniel’s single-barrel Tennessee whiskey sat at the bar, where Siebel addressed dozens of attendees a short walk from the WEF’s Congress Centre. As temperatures in Davos dropped, guests chased glasses of the amber liquid with caviar-topped canapes, salami and a selection of cheeses. Siebel, 72, opted for a glass of 12-year-old W.L. Weller bourbon.

C3 AI’s event was one of the first parties to get underway following the initial full day of events at Davos. Discussions earlier in the day focused on everything from crypto to refugees and investing in women’s health.

By 2 p.m., scores of cars and WEF shuttle buses lining the streets to the Congress Centre almost brought traffic to a standstill. That led UK media tycoon Martin Sorrell to exit his vehicle and finish the rest of his trip to the WEF buildings on foot, where Ferrovial SE Chairman Rafael Del Pino chatted in the main cafe area with fellow European billionaire Nerio Alessandri, the founder of Technogym SpA.

ADVERTISEMENT

Later in the evening, Bank of America hosted an event where it offered guests salmon sashimi and steak tartare canapes, hotdogs and cheese platters. It also offered a cocktail menu of almost half-a-dozen drinks — including a negroni, espresso martini and a classic margarita.

None of those were at least initially to the liking of the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan. Shortly after the event’s 10:30 p.m. start, he was chatting to a small group of guests nursing a craft beer from a local business.

Elsewhere, executives and investors including Vista Equity Partners founder Robert Smith and Blackstone Inc. CEO Steve Schwarzman mingled at an event hosted by the Qatar Investment Authority on the lower floor of a chic hotel.

Adding a touch of star power to the evening, Qatar’s cultural ambassador and global soccer icon David Beckham made an appearance, patiently taking photos with many in the crowd. The alcohol-free event was crowded, with influential figures enjoying canapes well into its second hour.

--With assistance from Cagan Koc, Jenny Leonard, Sridhar Natarajan and Rachel Morison.

ADVERTISEMENT

(Corrects spelling of Siebel’s name in fifth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.