Schmoozing in Davos

Vanguard’s John Bogle, heaping derision on the great and the good assembled at Davos:

This year I’ve decided not to call the pilot, pop on to Vanguard’s G-4 and jet to Davos. Partly because we don’t “do” corporate airplanes…I confess I looked at this year’s program before I made my decision. I’m only truly sorry to miss Morgan Stanley’s Steve Roach, whose persistent gloomy warnings about the global economy have yet to come home to roost.

By contrast, doomsday cultist Nouriel Roubini is completely star-stuck:

Hopefully, one will also have time to schmooze with celebrities: this year Angelina Jolie is not around as she is pregnant to Brad Pitt but a stable of glitterati, glamoratas, artistata and hollywoodatas is certain to add glamour cachet to the highest concentration of gurus, eggheads, policy wonks, corporate leaders, net geeks and nerds and movers&shakers ever put together…

Cringe!

UPDATE:  Another failed Roubini forecast:  ‘Jolie tells starstruck summit to stay focused’

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Angelina Jolie told a summit of business leaders and politicians, many driven to distraction by the Hollywood siren, to concentrate on the real issues.

The Oscar-winner and her beau Brad Pitt, whose child she is carrying, have reduced the global elite at Davos to star-struck autograph hunters, scrambling over each other to get a glimpse of the actress and her man.

UPDATE II:  Italy’s Economy Minister tells Nouriel where to go.  I happen to agree with Nouriel on EMU, except that I don’t see its prospective break-up as a ‘disaster.’  Still, it makes Nouriel’s bearishness on the USD all the more curious.

posted on 27 January 2006 by skirchner in Economics

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