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World Economic Forum CEO Borge Brende quits after sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ties scrutinised
WEF CEO Borge Brende resigns after scrutiny over his past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, with the Forum appointing an interim successor.
World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende (Reuters file)
Borge Brende, president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, said Thursday he was resigning, a few weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende, who became president of the WEF in 2017, announced his decision in a statement following disclosures from the US Justice Department that showed the Norwegian had three business dinners with Epstein and had also communicated with the disgraced financier via email and text message, news agency Reuters reported.
The co-chairs said the WEF’s Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and CEO, and that the forum’s Board of Trustees will oversee the leadership transition, including a plan to drive a process to identify a permanent successor.
Brende was Norway’s foreign minister from 2013-2017 and is one of several prominent Norwegians who have faced scrutiny following the latest release of Epstein files. (AI-generated graphic)
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8-1/2 years, has been profoundly rewarding,” he said.
“I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners, and constituents, and I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” added Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister. Brende made no mention of Epstein.
In a separate statement, Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink, co-chairs of the Geneva-based forum that organises the annual Davos summit, said the independent review conducted by outside counsel into Brende’s ties with Epstein had concluded.
The findings stated there were no additional concerns beyond what had been previously disclosed, it added.
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US DoJ released over 3 million pages of documents relating to Epstein
The US Justice Department has released more than 3 million pages of documents relating to Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
His ties to a long list of business and political leaders, including US President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are under close scrutiny. Overseas, the revelations have prompted criminal investigations of Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, and other prominent figures.
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