Davos 2026: Martin Sorrell says Trump ‘likes turmoil’, flags rising uncertainty for businesses

US President Donald Trump thrives on disruption and has deliberately stirred controversy with his stance on Greenland, said Martin Sorrell, Chairman of S4Capital, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“He likes turmoil and he has thrown the Greenland cat among the pigeons,” Sorrell told Moneycontrol, describing the recent tariff threats as classic Trump strategy.

The veteran advertising executive said this year’s Davos gathering is set to be heavily influenced by the United States.

“This is going to be a very American-dominated Davos,” Sorrell said. “The US delegation is huge. They have taken over the church here as the USA House, which I think is the first time they have done that. So, it’s a huge presence here.”

Asked whether the forum would see meaningful discussions on Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on several European countries amid the Greenland dispute, Sorrell was blunt.

“I think it’s going to be a monologue, not a dialogue,” he said.

On January 17, Trump announced plans to impose sweeping tariffs on eight European nations, including Denmark, escalating tensions over Greenland and framing the move as a matter of global security.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US would levy a 10 percent tariff on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland starting February 1, 2026. He warned that the rate would rise to 25 percent from June 1 if no agreement was reached on Greenland.

Trump argued that the US had subsidised European countries for decades and that Denmark should now “give back,” linking the issue to global peace and security.

Sorrell said that while Trump may have a point about Greenland’s strategic importance, his approach was confrontational.

“I actually think President Trump has a point about Greenland. The question is — is this the best way to go about it? Maybe it is better to work through NATO rather than against it. But he is a real estate guy, so he believes in ownership,” Sorrell said.

“He has thrown the Greenland cat amongst the pigeons and the pigeons are all flurrying around in a state of panic, but that’s his style. He likes to flood the zone.”

The S4Capital chief also highlighted the broader uncertainty facing global businesses due to rising geopolitical tensions.

“When you think about what’s been happening in the last few weeks with Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, we have got a record number of conflicts in the world at the moment,” he said.

“It is a turbulent time, and how you run a global business at times like this is quite taxing. It makes people less certain. There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty.”