Davos 2026: S4Capital’s Martin Sorrell says Trump likes turmoil, adds it's a 'turbulent' time for businesses

Sir Martin Sorrell, chairman, S4 Capital in Davos for World Econimic Forum 2026.

• Trump announced tariffs on eight European countries over the Greenland dispute
• US delegation has a major presence at Davos, making it a US-centric forum
• Geopolitical tensions are causing uncertainty for global businesses

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The US President Donald Trump likes turmoil and he threw the Greenland cat among the pigeons, said Martin Sorrell, Chairman, S4Capital, a digital advertising and marketing services company.

Speaking to Moneycontrol at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 19, Sorrell noted that this year will be a US-centric forum.

"This is going to be a very American dominated Davos. The US delegation is huge. They have taken over the church here of the USA house, which I think is the first time they have done that. So, it's a huge presence here."

On whether there will be a dialogue on issues like tariffs on eight European countries due to the Greenland row, the ad guru said, "I think it's going to be a monologue not a dialogue."

Trump on January 17 announced sweeping tariffs on several European countries, including Denmark, escalating tensions over Greenland and framing the move as a matter of global security.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the US would impose a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland starting February 1, 2026.

The US President warned that the tariff would rise to 25 percent from June 1, 2026, if no agreement is reached on Greenland. Trump said that the US had been subsidising European countries for centuries and that it was time now for Denmark to give back, since World peace is at stake.

"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 (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) rather than against. But he (Trump) is a real estate guy, so he believes in ownership.'

"...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 (Trump's) style. He likes to flood the zone."

Sorrell also highlighted how the geopolitical issues have made it tough for businesses globally.

"When you think about what's been happening in the last few weeks with Venezuela, Iran, Greenland...we have got the record number of conflicts in the world at the moment. It is a turbulent time and how you run a global business at times like this is quite taxing. I think it actually makes people less certain. There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty," he said.