See Inside The Lodge The World’s Richest People Just Spent The Weekend At

Isaac Taylor

Since 1983, private investment firm Allen & Company has hosted the world’s elites for a secret weekend of hobnobbing and deal brokering. It’s been colloquially described as a billionaire’s summer camp. Last year was called off due to Covid, but this year the elite were back crawling over Idaho’s idyllic mountains. No press releases or websites are made to advertise the event. It’s strictly invite only, and huge amounts of security and handling of the media makes sure the elites can have a relaxing vacation together away from prying eyes.

The local airstrip at Friedman Memorial Airport was swarmed with over 90 private jets. Notable attendees this year include Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO, Tim Cook. Netflix CEO, Ted Sarandos, was spotted hanging out with NBCUniversal CEO, Jeff Shell. According to NPR Activision, Blizzard’s CEO, Bobby Kotick got chummy with Imagine Entertainment’s, Brian Grazer, proving that there’s mutual respect between everybody’s contemporaries.

Jeff Bezos, who’d recently handed the reigns of Amazon over to long time partner Andy Jassy was also spotted roaming with his new girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez.

Others on the guest list are reportedly Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, Disney CEO, Bob Chapek, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO, Warren Buffett, and Sony CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida.

Notably media mogul and narrative crafter, Rupert Murdoch wasn’t attending this year, likewise for Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey who has attended in the past.

This event has been the catalyst for huge mergers over the years, and the combined wealth of those in attendance is estimated to be over a trillion dollars.

The question is, can a meeting like this NOT be compared to a villain summit? Well, after looking around the resort with its quaint $568-a-night rooms and distinct lack of shark tanks and Doomsday buttons, I’m left feeling somewhat disappointed.

The recently remodeled 80-year-old Sun Valley Lodge has a 20,000 square foot destination spa, a world-class fitness center and yoga studio. That’s not to mention the glass-enclosed outdoor pool and pool café, restaurants, lounges, lobbies and event space.

The Lodge Celebrity Suites celebrate past celebrities who have spent time at the lodge. Long before Silicon Valley swanned around in it, Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemingway and Clint Eastwood all spent time at the lodge.

The Celebrity Suites are grand in style, offering a parlour suite with a cozy fireplace, a living room with a flat screen HD TV, spacious spa-like en suite with double sink vanity, spacious closet, safe, and a large bedroom.

The Lodge King Suite has warm earth tones, a granite entry, and a luxurious wool carpet perfect for the winter months when the lodge really comes to life. Some rooms have a fireplace that divides the sitting area from the bedroom which has one elegantly appointed King bed. An ultra spacious bathroom features a soaking tub, large walk-in shower, detailed golden granite floors, walls and double sink vanity. A walk-in dressing area also offers built-in cabinet dressers and convenient ski closet.

As a ski lodge, this place comes alive in winter, but briefly, in the middle of July, it becomes the centre of the world, albeit secretly.