Three feet of snow line the streets of Davos. The cold is piercing—minus 20 degrees centigrade. The security rivals the vault at Fort Knox—and with good reason. The constellation of political, business, and nonprofit leaders attending the 2013 World Economic Forum in Davos is unmatched anywhere in the world.

The Players

Government: Forty-five heads of state. Dmitry Medvedev. David Cameron. Angela Merkel. From the continent of Africa alone, more than a dozen presidents and prime ministers.