The Billionaires Summer Camp: Why do Zuckerberg and Gates attend Sun Valley
What draws the tech giants, business moguls, and politicians to this elite retreat in Idaho
Words: Charlie Bentley
For mere mortals, we are scarcely privy to the social calendars of billionaires. Occasionally, we are allowed a glimpse into the world of the elite, the prime movers. We hear about events such as the World Economic Forum in Davos or the Monaco Yacht show. These occasions are rarely just places for the ultra-rich to have a chat with the people of their ilk. Rather, they are events that allow for deals to be made, financial connections formed, and dynasties secured. The Sun Valley Conference in Idaho is one of these places, forming a mixture of a retreat and a platform for the world’s most powerful.
The “Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference” is officially listed as a media-finance conference by the private investment firm Allen & Company, a firm that has previously invested and advised in Coca-Cola, BET, and Google. The conference itself lasts for, on average, four days a year.
Just a few of the famous names that have attended this year’s conference include: Sam Altman (OpenAI), Tim Cook (Apple), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta, formerly Facebook), Sundar Pichai (Google), Bob Iger (Disney), Rupert Murdoch, Marc Benioff (Salesforce), Peter Thiel (AirBnB), Greg Peters (Netflix), Neal Mohan (YouTube), Chuck Schumer (Senate Majority Leader), and François-Henri Pinault (Kering). Phew, that is just several selected famous names in tech, media, and politics, without listing any of the high-profile celebrities that attend and familial dynasties that send representatives.
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