Klaus Schwab — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and served as its chairman from 1971 until 2025.
Founded the European Management Forum in 1971, which was renamed the World Economic Forum in 1987.
Co-founded the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in 1998 with his wife Hilde.
Introduced the phrase "Fourth Industrial Revolution" to a wider audience.
Authored "Moderne Unternehmensführung im Maschinenbau" (1971) and "The Intelligent Age series."
Holds a doctorate in engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and a doctorate in economics from the University of Fribourg.
Earned a Master in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Biography

Klaus Martin Schwab is a German mechanical engineer, economist, and the founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Born on March 30, 1938, he served as the WEF's chairman from its inception in 1971 until his resignation in 2025. Schwab's parents moved from Switzerland to Germany during the Third Reich, where his father directed Escher Wyss AG, an industrial company.