Borge Brende steps down as president & CEO of World Economic Forum over Epstein ties
Borge Brende on Thursday stepped down as president and CEO of World Economic Forum over Epstein ties. The development comes a few weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Notably, Brende, who became president of the WEF in 2017, announced the decision to step down in a statement following disclosures from the US Justice Department that showed the Norwegian had three business dinners with Epstein and had also communicated with him via email and text message.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8-1/2 years, has been profoundly rewarding,” he said in a statement.
In another statement, Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink, co-chairs of the Geneva-based forum that organises the annual Davos summit, stated that the independent review conducted by outside counsel into Brende’s ties with Epstein had concluded. The latest findings revealed that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.
