Elon Musk joins Davos agenda in surprise move

Elon Musk is set to make an unexpected appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, after being added to the official schedule despite earlier indications that he would not attend.

A day after US President Donald Trump delivered his address at the gathering, organisers confirmed that Musk will take part in an open session on Thursday at 4:30pm local time. 

The discussion will feature Larry Fink, the chief executive of BlackRock, though details about the session’s agenda have not been disclosed.

Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed that a Gulfstream G650 registered to Musk departed San Jose International Airport and headed east earlier this week. 

It remains unclear whether Musk himself was aboard the aircraft. 

The appearance marks a notable shift for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who has previously been critical of Davos and its organisers. 

In past years, Musk publicly questioned the relevance of the forum and said he had declined invitations, calling the event “boring.”

More recently, Musk has drawn headlines for a public dispute with Michael O'Leary, after the Ryanair chief dismissed the idea of installing Musk’s Starlink service on the airline’s fleet.

Organisers have not said what topics Musk will address, but his surprise addition has added fresh buzz to this year’s Davos agenda.