Davos Forum director resigns over Epstein ties
"After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum," the former Norwegian foreign minister said in a statement.
Borge Brende
Borge Brende announced Thursday that he would step down as head of the World Economic Forum, which organizes the annual Davos summit, after his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were revealed.
"After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum," the former Norwegian foreign minister said in a statement.
He said his more than eight years at the helm had been"deeply rewarding," but that he believed "now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions."
The WEF said earlier this month that it would conduct an independent review of Brende's interactions with Epstein, after his name appeared dozens of times in the millions of documents released by the Justice Department in the convicted sex offender's case.
Appearing in the released Epstein files does not in itself imply any wrongdoing.
The WEF said Thursday that the review of Brende had concluded.
"The findings stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed," it said.
The organization expressed its "sincere appreciation for Borge Brende's significant contributions to the World Economic Forum" and added: "We respect his decision to step down."
The WEF said its managing director Alois Zwinggi had been appointed interim president and CEO while the board begins the process of finding a permanent successor for Brende.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to child prostitution and served 13 months of an 18-month sentence. He was facing charges of alleged sex trafficking when he committed suicide in 2019 while in custody.
"I was completely unaware of Epstein's past"
"The following year, I attended two similar dinners with Epstein, alongside other diplomats and business leaders. These dinners, and a few emails and SMS messages, were the extent of my interactions with him," he said.
"I was completely unaware of Epstein's past and criminal activities."
He said that if he had known about Epstein's background, he would have declined the initial dinner invitation and any subsequent invitations or communications.
Brende said he acknowledged he could have conducted a more thorough investigation into Epstein's history and regretted not doing so.
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