The leader of the World Economic Forum announced his resignation Thursday amid growing controversy surrounding his documented connections to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Børge Brende, who previously served as Norway’s foreign minister, revealed his decision to leave his role as president and CEO of the organization famous for hosting the high-profile Davos summit each January in Switzerland.
“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,” Brende stated in the organization’s official announcement.
The resignation follows the recent disclosure of documents showing Brende had multiple dining encounters with Epstein and maintained communication with the convicted criminal. Brende held Norway’s top diplomatic position from 2013 through 2017 and joins other high-profile Norwegians facing questions after the latest batch of Epstein-related files became public.
While Thursday’s resignation statement avoided mentioning the scandal directly, the WEF had launched an internal investigation earlier this month to examine the extent of Brende’s relationship with Epstein.
Speaking to Norwegian media outlet NRK previously, Brende maintained his cooperation with investigators, emphasizing that his encounters with Epstein occurred only in professional contexts and that he remained unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities at the time.
WEF leadership, including co-chairs André Hoffmann and Larry Fink, confirmed the completion of their independent investigation conducted by external legal counsel, stating: “The findings stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”
The organization announced that Alois Zwinggi will take over leadership responsibilities on an interim basis.
