As billionaires traversed rural Idaho for this year’s Allen & Co. Sun Valley conference, one attendee stood out in the crowd of navy pullovers and black t-shirts.
Media mogul and one-time talk show host Oprah Winfrey stunned in a monochromatic ensemble – a white sweater, white jeans, white sneakers and a white bag.
Winfrey was accompanied by lifelong best friend Gayle King, who chose a more colorful outfit featuring an argyle sweater, lime green glasses and matching lime green pants. Rounding out their group were CNN anchors Erin Burnett and Van Jones. Burnett stuck to an all navy look, while Jones accessorized with a green vest.
The Sun Valley Conference has been held annually, the week after July 4, for decades. Employees at the nearby Friedman Memorial Airport reportedly refer to the conference as “the annual fly-in event” while others jokingly call it “summer camp for billionaires.”
Most of the week’s agenda is secret and the reporters present are told to stay off-the-record, but it is rumored that Sun Valley was the origin of several high profile mergers and Jeff Bezos’ decision to buy the Washington Post.
Among the names reportedly present at this year’s conference are Disney CEO Bob Iger and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Several prominent politicians, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also scored invites to the event, according to Variety.
While the event’s attendees are disproportionately white and male – reflecting the lack of diversity among the upper echelons of wealth – there are other women present in the quiet Idaho community this week.
Celebrated fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg is attending the event with her husband Barry Diller, the chairman of IAC and the Expedia Group. Media executive Shari Redstone is also in town, just days after she agreed to sell her family’s controlling stake in Paramount Global.
Madeline Fitzgerald writes for Quartz, which like The Root, is owned by GO/ Media
