Borge Brende, the chief executive officer and president of the World Economic Forum, will resign from his post after an independent investigation was conducted by the group over his ties to the since-deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende said in a statement he made this decision after “careful consideration” so the forum could continue its mission “without distractions.” He made no mention of Epstein in his statement, but his resignation comes less than a month after the release of the latest batch of Epstein files.
“CEO of World Economic Forum resigns,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a critic of the forum who helped secure the release of the files, wrote on X. “You’re welcome.”
The tranche of recent documents appeared to show Brende kept in contact with Epstein long after the financier had been convicted for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Brende was serving as a foreign minister of Norway at the time the communications appear to have taken place.
The World Economic Forum, which hosts an annual summit of global leaders in Davos, Switzerland, said in a statement the independent investigation did not find “additional concerns beyond what had been previously disclosed.”
“We respect his decision to step down,” the forum said in a statement, praising Brende’s “instrumental” leadership and “significant contributions” to the group during a “pivotal period of reforms.”
Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and CEO while the Board of Trustees begins a “proper process to identify a permanent successor.”
The forum has become a lightning rod for Trump-aligned Republicans in recent years who say the organization is made up of global elites pushing an anti-American agenda. In 2024, a cadre of House Republicans even introduced legislation barring U.S. tax dollars from going to the group.
Brende is the latest official to step down from his leadership position due to his alleged ties to Epstein. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who served as a professor at Harvard University, said on Wednesday he would resign from his post after the Epstein files showed an ongoing correspondence with Epstein. No evidence of Summers committing wrongdoing has emerged, but he’s been eyed by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as it continues its investigation into the files.
Others who have resigned include Hyatt Hotels heir Thomas Pritzker, Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathy Ruemmler, New York School of Visual Arts department chair David Ross, Brad Carp of the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison law firm, and many foreign leaders, such as Norwegian Ambassador Mona Juul and Slovakian minister Miroslav Lajcak.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT DELAYS DEPOSITIONS FOR PAIR OF EPSTEIN ASSOCIATES UNTIL MARCH
Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress have called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to step down, accusing him of misrepresenting his connection to Epstein. Lutnick has denied wrongdoing.
The House oversight committee is conducting depositions with former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the committee, told reporters ahead of Hillary Clinton’s deposition he expected it to go for a long time, and Bill Clinton’s to go “even longer.”
