New Books in Political Science Peter S. Goodman, "Davos Man: How the Billionaire Class Devoured Democracy" (Custom House, 2022)
4 snips
Feb 9, 2026 Peter S. Goodman, New York Times global economics correspondent and author, profiles the billionaire class and its pandemic-era power grab. He traces how wealth concentrated worldwide and sketches the lives affected by that shift. The conversation explores the origins of 'Davos Man', the role of the World Economic Forum, and why calls for stakeholder capitalism often ring hollow.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Inequality Fueled Populist Backlash
- Decades of gradual wealth transfer left many people feeling ignored and destabilized.
- Peter S. Goodman links that transfer to the rise of right-wing populism across countries.
Davos Man Defined
- "Davos Man" describes billionaires whose fortunes cross borders and lack national allegiance.
- Goodman uses the term to analyze a billionaire class that claims its wealth benefits everyone while concentrating power.
Davos Panels Avoid Sharing Wealth
- At Davos 2017 Goodman watched panels offering soft solutions like meditation and retraining instead of wealth redistribution.
- He observed elites avoiding the core idea that the rich should share more of their wealth.
