Updated 2026-01-20T07:16:18.385Z
It's Business Insider's second day at Davos, and it's a busy one.
Today, we'll cover speeches from power players like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Palantir CEO Alex Karp, and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
Follow along here for updates on what people are saying.
What's giving executives a rough night's sleep
Anything you do within your company's digital ecosystem is likely being tracked, from the data you touch to the software programs you use.
But AI agents … not so much.
Anything you do within your company's digital ecosystem is likely being tracked, from the data you touch to the software programs you use.
But AI agents … not so much.
That's a real concern as we rely on them more and more, Raj Sharma, EY's global managing partner of growth and innovation, told me.
"We have to build industrial-level security for AI agents in that particular area," he said. "That keeps me up at night," Sharma added.
For Tim Walsh, the chair and CEO of KPMG US, it's the threat of quantum computing. While still a few years out, its power is undeniable.
"Quantum breaks everything," Walsh said. "I mean, all encryption."
M&A is top of mind
"M&A is high on the agenda," said Sharon Marcil, North America chair at BCG. "We're hearing it from so many CEOs." She pointed to a strong stock market and an overall tilt in Washington toward deregulation and robust business activity.
Winston Weinberg, CEO and cofounder of the legal AI startup Harvey, echoes the sentiment, saying he is hearing that 2026 will be an "insane" year for dealmaking. (Good for lawyers!)
"M&A is high on the agenda," said Sharon Marcil, North America chair at BCG. "We're hearing it from so many CEOs." She pointed to a strong stock market and an overall tilt in Washington toward deregulation and robust business activity.
Winston Weinberg, CEO and cofounder of the legal AI startup Harvey, echoes the sentiment, saying he is hearing that 2026 will be an "insane" year for dealmaking. (Good for lawyers!)
Similar predictions predominated this time last year. The tariff tumult put a pause on M&A early on, but then dealmaking got its mojo back.
Davos kicked off on Monday with a warning from Larry Fink about capitalism
Fink took the stage at Davos to welcome more than a thousand chief executives to the World Economic Forum. In his opening remarks, he questioned whether anyone outside the room would care about this meeting of global leaders.
"Because if we're being honest, for many people this meeting feels out of step with the moment: elites in an age of populism, an established institution in an era of deep institutional distrust," the BlackRock CEO said.
Fink took the stage at Davos to welcome more than a thousand chief executives to the World Economic Forum. In his opening remarks, he questioned whether anyone outside the room would care about this meeting of global leaders.
"Because if we're being honest, for many people this meeting feels out of step with the moment: elites in an age of populism, an established institution in an era of deep institutional distrust," the BlackRock CEO said.
"And there's truth in that critique," he added. "I've believed in this forum for a long time. I certainly wouldn't be leading it if I didn't. But it's also obvious that the world now places far less trust in us to help shape what comes next."
Fink said the capitalism now faces a big test: Whether it can "evolve to turn more people into owners of growth, instead of spectators watching it happen."
"And that kind of change is hard. Especially in a world of competing ideologies and assumptions about how the system should work," he said.
Fink's remarks ground what is expected to be a monumental week, in which deals are made and new alliances are forged amid turmoil in the wider political sphere.
