WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab Isn’t Hospitalized, Spokesperson Says
On April 14, 2024, an X user (@ANTlWEF) posted that World Economic Forum (WEF) founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab had been hospitalized. Shortly afterwards, other users shared the same rumor, saying Schwab was either “ill,” “hospitalized” or experiencing some sort of medical issue.
None of the posts said where, or how, they supposedly learned about Schwab’s health condition.
For example, X user Matt Wallace @MattWallace888 — who has a history of making false and misleading claims — posted, “Rumors are circulating that Klaus Schwab has fallen very ill.” Another post from the user Leading Report (@LeadingReport) read, “BREAKING: WEF founder Klaus Schwab has allegedly recently been admitted to the hospital.”
WEF spokesperson Yann Zopf told Snopes the rumors were “entirely baseless.” Furthermore, Zopf provided the following statement to the fact-checking organization Lead Stories:
These claims are entirely baseless and unfounded. Professor Schwab’s health is excellent. Like many high-profile individuals and organizations, he and the World Economic Forum have been targeted by conspiracy narratives, as well as misinformation and disinformation campaigns.
X user @ANTlWEF appeared to be the origin of the rumor about Schwab. Hours after its above-mentioned post, the user authored an “update” suggesting the assertion about Schwab was made up. “You all know Klaus Schwab has been hospitalized,” that post read. “He has been diagnosed with being a world class tyrant. Prognosis is not looking good, very slim to no chance of recover.”
We reached out to the X user for comment. This story will be updated if we receive any further relevant details.
In addition to the X posts, according to the Malaysian technology website Tech ARP, the rumor appeared as a news article on a website called Weekly Crier. That article appeared to have been written by an artificial-intelligence (AI) tool, according to CopyLeaks.com and GPTZero.me.
Schwab, who is 86, is often the target of online conspiracy theories. They often point to a real initiative introduced by him and the WEF in June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, known as the “Great Reset.” That effort aims to inspire global policies that “reflect, reimagine, and reset our world to create a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future,” Schwab once wrote.
In June 2021, BBC.com reported a “lack of clarity, combined with the plan being launched by an influential organization, provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories to grow.”
We previously fact-checked false claims that Schwab called Elon Musk a “dangerous extremist fuse on the internet” and admitted he was planning to implement forced lockdowns during a future pandemic.
Sources:
“AI Content Detector | AI Detector | ChatGPT Detector.” Copyleaks.com, https://copyleaks.com/ai-content-detector.
BBC Monitoring and BBC Reality Check. “What Is the Great Reset – and How Did It Get Hijacked by Conspiracy Theories?” BBC.com, 23 June 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-57532368.
Goldin, Melissa. “The WEF’s Chairman Did Not Confess That a ‘Political Revolution’ Is Destroying His Agenda.” The Associated Press, 26 Jan. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-klaus-schwab-admits-great-reset-865444185576.
“GPTZero | The Trusted AI Detector for ChatGPT, GPT-4, & More.” GPTZero.me, https://gptzero.me/.
“Klaus Schwab.” World Economic Forum, https://www.weforum.org/about/klaus-schwab/.
Payne, Ed. “Fact Check: WEF Founder Klaus Schwab Has NOT Been Hospitalized; Rep Says On April 15, 2024, Schwab’s ‘Health Is Excellent’ | Lead Stories.” Lead Stories, 15 Apr. 2024, https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2024/04/fact-check-wef-founder-klaus-schwab-has-not-been-hospitalized-rep-says-his-health-is-excellent.html.
Schwab, Klaus. “Now Is the Time for a ‘Great Reset.'” World Economic Forum, 3 June 2020, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/now-is-the-time-for-a-great-reset/.
Wong, Adrian. “Was WEF Founder Klaus Schwab Just Hospitalised?!” Tech ARP, 15 Apr. 2024, https://www.techarp.com/facts/wef-klaus-schwab-hospitalised/.
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