As summer kicks off, tech and media moguls around the world are preparing for a season of travel—but a select few are also getting ready to descend on the mountain resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. Since the early 1980s, the annual Allen & Company conference—nicknamed “summer camp for billionaires“—has been held there, drawing the industry’s most powerful figures.
Despite its laid-back dress code and outdoor activities like hiking and biking, the gathering is anything but casual. Hosted by the investment bank Allen & Company, the invite-only event typically begins in the second week of July. It features high-level meetings and private lectures, all behind closed doors and largely off-limits to the press. It’s also a major hub for dealmaking, with past conferences setting the stage for transformative moves like Jeff Bezos’ purchase of The Washington Post and Disney’s merger with ABC.
This year’s guest list, reported by Variety and Puck, is packed with Silicon Valley power players. Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Andy Jassy and Sam Altman are all expected to attend.
Media titans are also well-represented. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, fresh off his decision to split the company in two, will be there alongside Rupert Murdoch—joined by son, Lachlan Murdoch, and ex-wife, Wendi Murdoch—as well as Netflix executives Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters and Reed Hastings. Disney CEO Bob Iger is once again on the list, likely appearing with top succession contenders Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Josh D’Amaro and Jimmy Pitaro.
Noticeably absent this year are Elon Musk, along with past regulars Warren Buffett, Shari Redstone and Oprah Winfrey. Buffett, 94, announced his retirement in May. Redstone was diagnosed with thyroid cancer this spring, the New York Times reported last week.
Hellbound and Down 