The Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a private, non-governmental international organization founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller that convenes 415+ senior leaders from government, business, and academia across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific for off-the-record policy dialogue and publishes task force reports on global governance issues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Trilateral Commission does
The Trilateral Commission is a private, non-governmental international organization founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller to foster closer cooperation among North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Its core function is convening high-level, off-the-record dialogue among sitting and former government officials, senior business executives, and academic experts from democratic nations. The organization operates three regional groups (North America with 135 members from the US, Canada, and Mexico; Europe with 184 members; and Asia Pacific with 96 members drawn from 11 countries including China, India, Japan, and South Korea), each with its own secretariat in Washington D.C., Paris, and Tokyo respectively. Total membership stands at 415+ individuals, governed by a 74-member Executive Committee.
The Commission's outputs are non-commercial in nature: task force reports (most recently the 2022 Task Force on Global Capitalism in Transition), meeting reports, working papers, and a historical publications archive dating to 1973. It distributes these via its website (trilateral.org) and convenes annual plenary meetings, regional conferences, and working group sessions. It also operates the David Rockefeller Fellows program, created in 2013, to develop emerging leaders aged 35 and under across all three regions. Leadership consists of three regional chairs (Meghan O'Sullivan for North America, Axel A. Weber for Europe since January 2022, and Takeshi Niinami for Asia Pacific) plus a layer of deputy chairs and directors drawn from institutions such as the Belfer Center at Harvard, the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), and A&O Shearman.
The business model is membership-based rather than commercial: members are private citizens who participate in the organization, and financial support comes from membership contributions, foundation grants (notably the Ford Foundation in the founding triennium 1973-76), and decentralized corporate contributions across regions. Specific membership fees and operating budget are not publicly disclosed. The Commission maintains an unofficial character: members who take government positions must rotate off to preserve this status. Operational partnerships are regional: the Asia Pacific secretariat has been hosted by the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) since inception and, from January 2025, by the International House of Japan.
The Trilateral Commission firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Trilateral Commission
- Legal name
- The Trilateral Commission
- Website
- https://trilateral.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Trilateral Commission is a private, non-governmental international organization founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller that convenes 415+ senior leaders from government, business, and academia across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific for off-the-record policy dialogue and publishes task force reports on global governance issues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Trilateral Commission industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Policy Research and Dialogue
- NAICS
- Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (813930)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB), Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH)
Keywords
Where The Trilateral Commission is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Trilateral Commission business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Marketing channels4 records
The Trilateral Commission product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Trilateral Commission is a private, non-governmental international organization founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller. It operates as a membership-based policy dialogue forum bringing together influential leaders from government, business, and academia across three regions (North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific) to foster cooperation on global governance challenges. Its core outputs include task force reports, meeting publications, regional conferences, and the David Rockefeller Fellows leadership program.
Product overview
The Trilateral Commission is a private international organization that does not offer commercial technology products or services. Its core offerings consist of policy publications (task force reports, meeting reports, and historical publications), regional and annual events/meetings, and the David Rockefeller Fellows leadership development program. The organization operates three regional groups (North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific) focused on fostering cooperation around rule of law, open economies, and democratic principles among Japan, North America, and Europe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- David Rockefeller Fellows: A fellowship program for young leaders aged 35 or younger created to honor the Commission's founder
Products and services
- Task Force Reports and Policy Publications
- Annual Plenary Meetings and Regional Conferences
- David Rockefeller Fellows Program A fellowship program for young leaders aged 35 or under, named in honor of the Commission's founder. Fellows attend plenary and regional meetings and receive mentorship from established members. The program operates in each of the three regions (Europe, Asia Pacific, North America).
- Task Force on Global Capitalism in Transition A current Commission task force addressing sustainability and inclusive capitalism, producing a report in 2022 calling for a new Social Compact with the Next Generations. Co-chaired by Carl Bildt and Kelly Grier.
Quantifiable outcome
- Task Force on Global Capitalism in Transition report produced in 2022 calling for a new 'Social Compact with the Next Generations' addressing sustainability and inclusive capitalism
Companies that use The Trilateral Commission
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Trilateral Commission technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Trilateral Commission partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- International House of JapancoreFrom January 2025, the International House of Japan has taken over as the Secretariat of the Asia Pacific Group, providing administrative and operational support for the regional activities.
- Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE)coreTadashi Yamamoto, founder and president of JCIE, served as the director of the Trilateral Commission's Japanese/Pacific Asian side from its beginning until his death in April 2012. JCIE staff served as the Trilateral Commission's secretariat among many other tasks.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Trilateral Commission competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Chatham House is a London-based international affairs think tank with a membership model, expert research output, and convening function that closely mirrors the Trilateral Commission. It publishes International Affairs and operates a similar elite dialogue format on global governance issues.
- Bilderberg Meeting: Bilderberg is an annual off-the-record conference for ~130 political leaders, CEOs, and academics — the closest functional peer to the Trilateral Commission in terms of closed-door elite convening. Both are unofficial, membership-invite-only, and organized around transatlantic geopolitical dialogue.
- Council on Foreign Relations: CFR is a US-based, membership-driven foreign policy think tank with a similarly elite membership of government officials, executives, and scholars. It produces the flagship journal Foreign Affairs and is among the most direct US analogs to the Trilateral Commission's convening-and-publishing model.
- Asia Society: Asia Society is a New York-headquartered organization focused on US-Asia Pacific relations, with a membership model, policy institute, and convening function that directly mirrors the Trilateral Commission's Asia Pacific Group mission. It is a natural complement and partial substitute for the Commission's Asia Pacific track.
- World Economic Forum: The WEF is the closest direct peer: a Swiss-based international organization that convenes global political, business, and academic elites (annual Davos meeting) for high-level dialogue on global issues, with a similar membership model and publications program. It operates on a much larger scale but serves an analogous elite-convening function.
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Carnegie Endowment is a major US-based international affairs think tank with global centers (Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, India, Russia/Eurasia) producing policy research on global governance, economics, and security — comparable to the Trilateral Commission's trilateral coverage and policy publication function.
- Atlantic Council: The Atlantic Council is a US-based think tank focused on transatlantic relations with a membership model including corporate and government leaders. It produces regular policy reports and convenes high-level dialogues on economic and security issues spanning North America and Europe — directly comparable to the Trilateral Commission's transatlantic track.
- European Council on Foreign Relations: ECFR is a pan-European foreign policy think tank founded in 2007 with national offices across EU member states. It serves as the European counterpart to the Trilateral Commission's European Group and is co-chaired by Carl Bildt, who also co-chairs the Trilateral Commission's Global Capitalism task force.
- Japan Center for International Exchange: JCIE is a Tokyo-based organization historically partnered with the Trilateral Commission — its founder Tadashi Yamamoto led the Commission's Asia Pacific side for nearly four decades. JCIE's convening and policy work on US-Japan and Asia Pacific relations directly mirrors the Trilateral Commission's Asia Pacific Group function.
Broad incumbents
- Brookings Institution: Brookings is a broader, larger US-based think tank covering domestic and international policy. While not exclusively elite-convening, its membership events, high-profile fellows, and policy publications on international economics and governance place it in an adjacent role to the Trilateral Commission's core mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Trilateral Commission social profiles
Digital presenceThe Trilateral Commission financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Trilateral Commission leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Trilateral Commission funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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The Trilateral Commission M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Trilateral Commission
What does The Trilateral Commission do?
The Trilateral Commission is a private, non-governmental international organization founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller. It operates as a membership-based policy dialogue forum bringing together influential leaders from government, business, and academia across three regions (North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific) to foster cooperation on global governance challenges. Its core outputs include task force reports, meeting publications, regional conferences, and the David Rockefeller Fellows leadership program.
Is The Trilateral Commission a public or private company?
The Trilateral Commission is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Trilateral Commission founded?
The Trilateral Commission was founded in 1973. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The Trilateral Commission based?
The Trilateral Commission is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
Who are The Trilateral Commission's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), Bilderberg Meeting, Council on Foreign Relations, Asia Society, World Economic Forum, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Atlantic Council, European Council on Foreign Relations and Japan Center for International Exchange. Brookings Institution is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Trilateral Commission have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Trilateral Commission.
What industry is The Trilateral Commission in?
The Trilateral Commission's product category is International Policy Research and Dialogue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAAAC, International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAIAIAC, Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies). Its NAICS code is 813930 and its SIC code is 9721.