Davos Chief Dabbles in For-Profit Firms, Raising Questions About Forum's Priorities

GENEVA -- Klaus Schwab springs from a chair in his office and gestures toward the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that looks out on Lake Geneva and distant, snow-capped peaks. This new headquarters, he says, was consciously designed to symbolize the transparency of his organization, the World Economic Forum.

"This building perfectly reflects our culture," says the host of this week's annual gathering in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, which opens Thursday and is drawing the usual parade of global power brokers, including Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, America Online 's Steve Case and Microsoft 's Bill Gates. "It's open and transparent."