One Russian 10-figure tycoon, Roustam Tariko, who controls Russian Standard Corp., which has interests in banking and vodka, wrote in an e-mail that economic equality will be one of the most important issues at the conference and is "key not only to domestic stability but also to the relationship between the post-industrial world and developing countries."
Tariko, 49, echoed Perot's views about Occupy protesters.
"The current movement has no strategy and purpose and hence doesn't look serious to me," he wrote.
Tariko said he'd rather talk about how political instability is undermining the global economy. That would suit Adi Godrej, chairman of Godrej Group, a Mumbai-based conglomerate with interests ranging from chemicals to real estate. He said delegates should focus on policy discussions aimed at fixing the economy, especially in Asia.
China, India
"China and India must realize that a lot of global recovery will be based on how well they implement reforms," said Godrej, 69, who called Davos "a good working holiday" that saves him weeks of travel each year because of the number of people he can see in a short period of time.
Still, many of the billionaires interviewed in advance of the meeting said the widening gulf between rich and poor was a great concern.
"These growing inequalities are not acceptable," said Rahul Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Group, who valued his holdings in the Mumbai-based conglomerate at $1 billion. "The rich have done much better than the poor, and that creates problems."
Bajaj, 73, who has been to Davos every year since 1979, said economic development should be encouraged through a mix of state and private-sector incentives. Governments could then invest additional tax revenue in infrastructure, education, food and water to benefit those below the poverty line, he said.
For Nicolas Berggruen, 50, who parlayed a trust fund worth about $250,000 into a fortune of at least $2.5 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, policy discussions at Davos have value. Berggruen, who has been called the "homeless billionaire" because he roams the world in his Gulfstream IV jet living out of five-star hotels, said he will mostly be a listener in the conversation.