Graphic detail | Relationship capital

Drilling down into Davos man

By The Economist Online

THE point of attending the World Economic Forum is to make connections. Yet most of the delegates already know each other from other affiliations. The company Relationship Science makes a business of compiling, measuring and monitoring these social networks—or "relationship capital," as the firm calls it.

The company produced interactive charts on behalf of The Economist that show the links among a handful of attendees. First is Muhtar Kent, the boss of Coca-Cola who is the most connected attendee. Next is Steve Schwartzman of Blackstone, a big investment fund, who is the second-most connected. Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, Bill Gates of Microsoft and LLoyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs are much lower on the list, but interesting to see.

Roll over the gray bubbles to see how delegates are tied to organisations or other attendees on the basis of board affiliations, employment and the like. Among the findings that the data-visualisation reveals is the degree to which Catalyst, a New York-based charity that helps women in the workplace, has links to many Davos goers.

Muhtar Kent
Steve Schwarzman
Sheryl Sandberg
William Gates
Lloyd Blankfein

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