(NEW YORK) — Borge Brende stepped down as the head of the World Economic Forum Thursday following an independent review into his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, marking the latest departure in a string of high-profile resignations by business and government leaders who were associated with the late sex offender.
Brende, who was a driving force in the organization’s annual meeting in Davos, led the WEF for more than eight years and recently interviewed President Donald Trump following Trump’s speech at the conference this year.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum,” Brende said in a statement. “My time here, spanning 8-1/2 years, has been profoundly rewarding. We have seen a record number of partners join us, and we have had a very successful Annual Meeting in Davos behind us, where we engaged with governmental leaders from all over the world like never before.”
“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,” he said.
Prior to his role at WEF, Brende served as Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and had other high-profile roles in Norwegian politics.
Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink — co-chairs of WEF’s board of trustees — said that a just-concluded independent review of Brende’s actions identified “no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”
“We wish to express our sincere appreciation for Borge Brende’s significant contributions to the World Economic Forum,” Hoffmann and Fink said in a statement. “His dedication and leadership have been instrumental during a pivotal period of reforms for the organization, leading to a successful annual meeting in Davos. We respect his decision to step down.”
Business leader Alois Zwinggi will serve as WEF’s interim president and CEO while its board searches for a permanent successor.
Brende appears in the Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department, and emails and text messages included in the files suggest he attended multiple dinners with Epstein in the late 2010s.
Beyond attending social events together, Epstein and Brende appeared to have discussed business related to the WEF.
“Davos can really replace the UN. cyber, crypto . genetics. . . intl coordination,” Epstein wrote in a 2018 email. “Issues now need to deal with the distributed trust. and internet fallout.”
“Exactly — we need a new global architecture. World Economic Forum (Davos) is uniquely positioned — public private,” Brende responded.
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