Børge Brend became president of the World Economic Forum in 2017, after serving as Norway’s foreign minister.
Børge Brende, head of the World Economic Forum (WEF), on Thursday said he is resigning over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum,” Brende, who became the president in 2017, said in a statement on the WEF website. “My time here, spanning 8½ years, has been profoundly rewarding.”
The forum launched an investigation into Brende in early February after his relationship with Epstein came to light in the latest document release by the U.S. Justice Department.
Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, dined with Epstein three times in 2018 and 2019, and the two exchanged texts and emails, a reality he denied in November. Following the recent disclosures, he admitted to knowing him, but said he was not aware of his criminal activities and wished he had investigated his background more thoroughly.
In the same statement, WEF said that the investigation has concluded, and that “the findings stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”
“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 believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” Brende added.
Brende, who at this year’s WEF Forum in Davos interviewed the U.S. President Donald Trump, is yet another high-profile Norwegian to be drawn into the fallout from the Epstein files.
Earlier this month, former Norwegian Prime Minister and Council of Europe chief Thorbjørn Jagland was placed under police investigation. Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Mona Juul, has resigned from her duties, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit has also been caught up in the controversy.
WEF said Alois Zwinggi, the forum’s managing director, will take on the role of interim president and CEO.