Børge Brende, president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, announced Thursday he is stepping down, weeks after the forum launched an independent review into his connections with Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende, who has led the WEF since 2017, confirmed the decision following U.S. Justice Department disclosures showing he had three business dinners with Epstein and exchanged emails and text messages with him.
“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,” Brende said in a statement. The WEF’s release did not mention Epstein. Brende told Norwegian media he regretted how he handled interactions with Epstein and did not want the issue to distract from the forum’s work, including the annual Davos summit.
Text messages from 2018-2019 among the Epstein files show a cordial tone, with Brende referring to Epstein as a “brilliant host” and writing “missing you Sir” after a dinner that included Epstein, former Trump aide Steve Bannon, and a former Norwegian government minister. Their last communication occurred a week before Epstein’s 2019 arrest.
