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The future of Klaus Schwab — Mr Davos for more than half a century — has become a talking point at this year’s meeting after World Economic Forum employees voiced strong criticism of their chair and the lack of a succession strategy. A group of current and former WEF staff members who contacted the Guardian said the 82-year-old Schwab was a law unto himself and had surrounded himself with “nobodies” who were incapable of running the organisation he founded in the early 1970s.

“Klaus has been at the helm of the WEF for 52 years. When he was born (in 1938) 122 of the 195 states in the world right now did not even exist. He is completely unaccountable to anyone inside and outside the organisation,” the group said. “We are a group of current and former employees of the WEF. We want to play our role in fostering debate about the role this organisation plays in the world.”

The group said it wanted to remain anonymous. “We are hesitant to come forward as Klaus is very well connected and can make life very difficult for us even after we leave the WEF.”

Speculation about Schwab’s future has intensified this week after a piece on the online publication Politico said the WEF’s strategic partners — the firms that bankroll the US$390 million a year business were unhappy about the lack of a succession strategy. The group of WEF staff members said they had posted their criticisms on the social media platform LinkedIn but they had been removed at the request of the WEF, something the organisation denies.

The posts, shared with the Guardian, said: “There isn’t much of a future for the WEF beyond Klaus not just because there isn’t a clear successor but also because his managing board is such a viper’s nest.” — The Guardian.