Borge Brende, the president and CEO of the World Economic Forum resigned after the Epstein files revealed his links to the late financier and infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The forum ordered an independent review into Brende following the release of the documents by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Brende has acknowledged dining with Epstein three times between 2018 and 2019 and communicated with him by email and text, but said he was “completely unaware” of his past criminal activity. The WEF said a review into his links to Epstein found “there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”
READ: Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp steps down after Epstein email fallout (February 5, 2026)
While Brende has not been accused of wrongdoing, Epstein was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008, for which he was registered as a sex offender. Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, has also said he regretted not having investigated Epstein more thoroughly.
Brende said in a statement on Thursday that he decided to step down after more than eight years in the role following “careful consideration.” “I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” he said. WEF co-chairs Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink thanked Brende for his “significant contributions” and said they respected his decision.
The WEF also mentioned Alois Zwinggi, who had been managing director of WEF’s executive body. will serve as interim president and CEO while the organization’s board of trustees oversees a process to identify a permanent successor.
Borge Brende had built his career in Norwegian public life before moving into global policy circles. He is affiliated with Norway’s Conservative Party and served in multiple ministerial roles across different governments. He was minister of the environment between 2001 and 2004, and the minister of trade and industry from 2004 to 2005. He later became minister of foreign affairs from 2013 to 2017. He also represented the Sør-Trøndelag region in the Norwegian parliament from 1997 to 2009.
Brende is the latest among the high-profile individuals to step down due to ties to the disgraced financier following the release of the Epstein files. Earlier DP World Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem stepped down from his role after his links to Epstein were revealed.
In the records, Epstein is said to have described the Dubai business leader as a “close personal friend,” a characterization that has quickly drawn attention in Washington and across U.S. financial circles. Rep. Thomas Massie had also publicly identified bin Sulayem as the person Epstein was addressing in one message in which he wrote that he “loved the torture video.”
Brad Karp had Brad Karp stepped down as chairman of the powerhouse corporate law firm Paul Weiss on Wednesday, following renewed scrutiny over emails exchanged between him and Epstein became public.
Lawrence H. Summers, a former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is also resigning from his teaching and leadership positions at Harvard University this May after the ongoing semester ends.
Others stepping down after following scrutiny over their ties to Epstein include CBS news contributor Peter Attia, and billionaire hotel executive Thomas Pritzker, who has served as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation since 2004.