Klaus Schwab, founder and former head of the World Economic Forum, is facing serious allegations of misconduct, according to a report by Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung.

The paper cites preliminary findings from an investigation led by Zurich-based law firm Homburger, which suggest Schwab may have manipulated WEF economic rankings for political purposes and filed questionable expense claims.

The investigation follows Schwab’s unexpected resignation in April 2025 amid mounting scrutiny.

The report alleges that Schwab repeatedly intervened in the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report, a key international index, adjusting country rankings to serve political objectives.

In one notable case, a 2017 email shows Schwab instructing then-WEF managing director Richard Samans to delay that year’s report to avoid embarrassing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after India received a low ranking.

Schwab also reportedly opposed improving the UK’s ranking, fearing it could be used to justify Brexit.

Despite these efforts, the report was ultimately published with India and the UK each falling one spot—to 40th and 8th, respectively.

In a separate 2022 incident, Schwab allegedly sent an advance copy of the rankings to a government official from a country with a declining score and suggested withholding publication.

The WEF later canceled the report, officially citing pandemic-related uncertainties.

In addition to the manipulation claims, investigators have flagged roughly 900,000 Swiss francs (about $1.12 million) in expense claims submitted by Schwab and his wife, Hilde.

SonntagsZeitung reports that many of these lacked clear links to WEF activities, raising fresh concerns about the organization’s financial oversight during Schwab’s tenure.