Aspen – The rich, famous and powerful will convene here starting today for a three-day Forstmann Little conference that will deal with the pressing issues of the world.
Organizers refuse to even confirm an event. But with all the security in town and private planes landing, it’s clear something is up.
“Teddy Forstmann brings in an amazing mix of people that adds to the excitement of the conference,” said Aspen Institute president Walter Isaacson. “He gets sports stars, scientists and CIA directors together. ”
This year’s schedule commences with a discussion on new media, moderated by PBS host Charlie Rose, with Google Inc. chairman and chief executive Eric Schmidt, Yahoo chairman and CEO Terry Semel, and Bharti Televentures chairman and CEO Sunil Mittal, according to an agenda surreptitiously provided to The Denver Post.
Next up are National Academy of Sciences president Dr. Ralph Cicerone, NASA’s Dr. James Hansen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Richard Lindzen and American Meteorological Society senior fellow Robert Correll, who will discuss the threat of global warming.
On Saturday, Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States; Christiane Amanpour, CNN chief international correspondent; and Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, crown prince and commander in chief of the Bahrain Defence Force, will analyze the Middle East.
Other conference plans include tennis with Grand Slam champion Monica Seles and a luncheon with retired Gen. Colin Powell and former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will conduct a political talk.
An evening of comedy with a “special surprise guest” is also on tap.
The conference is scheduled to conclude Sunday.
