• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
LeadershipCEO Daily

Davos Recap, Brexit Tensions, Mueller Protection: CEO Daily for January 29, 2018

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 29, 2018, 6:35 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Good morning.

I’ve been attending the World Economic Forum in Davos for more than two decades, and I can’t recall a time when the meeting ended with attendees as optimistic about the economic outlook as last week. Their reasons:

  • The global economy is enjoying unusual synchronicity, with every major region expanding at the same time. Even The New York Times elevated this theme to its front page this weekend.
  • With unemployment low and inflation dormant, we face the possibility of several years of “high pressure” growth, in which wages and other rewards to workers will rise, after a decade of anemia. The unusual bonuses paid by some companies to workers in the wake of the tax bill are partly an acknowledgement of that trend.
  • Trump’s hard line “America First” trade agenda was retrofitted at Davos into a more reasonable “America First, but not America alone.” It remains to be seen what that means in practice—as The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Ip wrote this weekend—but the cooler rhetoric has reduced fears of a trade fiasco.
  • The rapid advance of technology—and, in particular, the increasing ability to take proliferating pools of digital data and turn them into useful intelligence (AI)—carries the promise of a sea change in business productivity, as well as potential solutions to a host of difficult social problems. U.K. Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Davos that AI could “double the rate of economic growth in advanced economies by 2035.”
  • A new generation of global business leaders are rethinking their companies’ obligations to society—a healthy development fueled by rising populism, declining trust, failing governments, and a generation of workers who want to know their employers are doing good in the world.
  • As for the U.S., it ranks as the most attractive location in the world to invest, after losing that honor to China earlier in the decade, and the new tax law makes that even more true.

None of that is to minimize the geopolitical threats facing the world, which my colleague Clay Chandler covered in Saturday’s newsletter. Nor is it to ignore the huge challenge of preparing the global workforce for the new technology world.

Still, it’s worth savoring the moment. All may not be right with the world. But all is not bad. Indeed, the main negative economic sentiment heard in Davos was that with all the good news, complacency may set in. As Larry Summers wrote last week—in a column that compared the current economy to the 1990s and to 2006—“The only thing we have to fear is the lack of fear itself.”

More news below.

Alan Murray
@alansmurray
alan.murray@fortune.com

Top News

Brexit Tensions Flare Up

The European Union will reportedly demand today that the U.K. should apply EU laws in full during the Brexit transitional period. This comes as Prime Minister Theresa May is yet again facing factional fighting within her Conservative Party, with some suggesting she should describe her Brexit strategy more clearly or face a no-confidence vote. Financial Times

Mueller Protection Split

Congressional Republicans are split on whether there should be new legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Donald Trump. Senators Lindsey Graham and Susan Collins favor a new law, but House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says such a move would be unnecessary. Washington Post

Alwaleed Freed

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, arrested in November in the midst of a Saudi corruption crackdown, has described his arrest as a "misunderstanding" following his release Saturday. "Everything's fine," the billionaire said from the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, where he had been detained along with many other prominent businessmen. He had not been tortured as was reported, he said. CNBC

Biel Delays IPO

Biel Crystal Manufactory, the biggest producer of smartphone touchscreens, is postponing its $1.5 billion IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange. According to reports, Biel has not yet submitted an IPO application, so it's unlikely that it will float in the second quarter as anticipated. South China Morning Post

Around the Water Cooler

Fitness Tracker Insecurity

A fitness-tracking "heat map" published by app firm Strava appears to betray the locations of U.S. military personnel around the world. Although the map shows an overwhelming mess of activity from Fitbit users in developed areas, it gives away much more detailed information in places where only soldiers and aid workers are likely to be wearing fitness trackers. Fortune

Intel's Priorities

Chipmaker Intel reportedly told Chinese technology companies, among others in a small group of customers, about critical security flaws in its processors before it informed U.S. authorities. The "Spectre" and "Meltdown" flaws allow for the exfiltration of sensitive data from desktop computers and potentially cloud servers, so the fear is that Chinese intelligence may have gotten a head start on their American counterparts in being able to exploit the flaws. Wall Street Journal

Ikea Founder Dies

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Swedish furniture behemoth Ikea, has died at the age of 91 following a short illness. Although he was the world's eighth-richest person, Kamprad was known for his frugality—an ethos that translated into the company's corporate culture. He was also a member of fascist organizations when younger, though he later regretted that element of his history. Bloomberg

Fake Follower Probe

A report into the activities of Devumi, a company that allegedly purloins real people's identities in order to sell "fake followers" to celebrities and anyone else who's willing to buy them, has resulted in an investigation by New York State attorney general Eric Schneiderman. The prosecutor says the company's activities, as reported by The New York Times, constitute illegal "impersonation and deception," while undermining democracy as well. BBC

This edition of CEO Daily was edited by David Meyer. Find previous editions here, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters here.

About the Authors
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Alan Murray
By Alan Murray
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Leadership

math
AIScience
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
21 minutes ago
Welder on a navy boat
SuccessCareers
Jamie Dimon says six-figure shipyard jobs are the new ‘American Dream’—but candidates will need to endure hours of extreme heat, cold, and rain
By Preston ForeJuly 21, 2026
1 hour ago
Knicks star Jalen Brunson
SuccessPersonal Finance
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
2 hours ago
wilt
Arts & EntertainmentAuction
Gen Z entrepreneur found a Wilt Chamberlain Lakers warm-up for $3.07 outside Portland — it was a $90,000 genuine article
By Claire Rush and The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
4 hours ago
cpk
SuccessBook Excerpt
The California Pizza Kitchen story: how two lawyers quit the courtroom to reinvent restaurants
By Rick RosenfieldJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago
k
Commentarypower
What I keep hearing from Fortune 500 CEOs: ‘We have no idea what we’re actually paying for power’
By Kiran BhatrajuJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
23 hours ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
Retail
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
Economy
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
By Jason MaJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.