Editing Bilderberg Group (section)

==Brief History==
The Bilderberg Group, officially known as the Bilderberg Meetings, was founded in 1954 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, with support from Polish émigré Joseph Retinger, Unilever executive Paul Rijkens, and U.S. figures like David Rockefeller and CIA Director Walter Bedell Smith. Named after the Hotel de Bilderberg in Oosterbeek, Netherlands, where the first meeting was held from May 29–31, 1954, the group was established to foster dialogue between Western European and North American leaders to strengthen transatlantic cooperation amid Cold War tensions and the perceived Soviet threat. The meetings aimed to counter anti-American sentiment in Europe and promote economic and political alignment within NATO.

The Bilderberg Group convenes annually, bringing together approximately 120–150 influential figures from politics, business, finance, academia, media, and intelligence. Attendees have included heads of state, corporate CEOs, central bankers, and prominent journalists, with notable past participants like Henry Kissinger, Bill Clinton, Angela Merkel, and David Petraeus. The meetings operate under strict secrecy, with no minutes published, no press access, and discussions held under the Chatham House Rule, ensuring anonymity for speakers. This structure allows candid exchanges on global issues like trade, defense, energy, and geopolitics. The group is governed by a Steering Committee, historically chaired by figures like Prince Bernhard (until 1976) and later Lord Alec Douglas-Home and Étienne Davignon.