This weekend, around 400 politicians and business leaders gathered at the Kursaal Bern convention centre for the 2025 Prix Suisse, which was awarded to the multi-billionaire Dr. Willy Michel. He was among the first to develop micro-insulin pumps in the 1980s, and is just as well known for owning an extensive portfolio of Franz Gertsch portraits and a superyacht with rotating beds. Interesting, too, was that the evening featured a conversation with Amal Clooney.
The barrister reflected on her transition from a New York litigation firm, where her pro bono accounts exposed the stark inequities in how justice is dispensed, to joining the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, where she represents political prisoners and victims of genocide. She also spoke about the work of the Clooney Foundation, which recently partnered with Oxford University to open the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice, a research hub focusing on building new technologies to expand access to justice. Among its early projects is an AI chatbot, developed with the Women Lawyers Association of Malawi, connecting women to free legal support via WhatsApp, in cases such as child marriage.
Clooney addressed the crowd in a statement Sergio Hudson jumpsuit–a look she’s made her public-speaking signature, having worn pinstripe Atelier Versace for 4Gamechangers, golden Rami Al Ali at the We Choose Earth Tour, and white Stella McCartney for the Global Conference for Media Freedom–this time in a seasonal shade of red. Speaking of, at the end of this month, Christie’s is holding an auction of four contemporary works by female artists benefiting the Clooney Foundation. Great timing: Dr. Willy Michel might just be in the mood for some festive philanthropy.