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Børge Brende is stepping down as President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Economic Forum. The departure comes following the revelation of his contact with Jeffrey Epstein.
– After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, Brende writes in a statement to Adresseavisen.
The Høyre politician from Trondheim has for many years held prominent offices in Norwegian and international politics, including as Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the WEF.
After the connections became known, the WEF initiated an external investigation into the contact between Brende and Epstein. According to the WEF’s Board, the investigation has now been completed.
– The conclusion establishes that there are no further matters beyond those previously uncovered, it is stated in the announcement from the Board, which has been published on the WEF’s website.
According to the WEF, Brende has been «exonerated».
– I believe that now is the right time for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions, he writes to Adresseavisen.
Brende adds that his time at the WEF, more than eight and a half years, has been «incredibly rewarding», and refers to a record number of partners and a successful annual meeting in Davos.
Adresseavisen has previously revealed that Brende had three dinner visits with Epstein, in addition to over 100 SMS messages and several emails between the two in 2018 and 2019. The newspaper has also uncovered that Epstein expressed interest in meeting Brende as early as September 2017, while Brende was still Minister of Foreign Affairs.
It has emerged in emails that Epstein sent Børge Brende an article from the New York Times stating that he had been convicted of sexual offences. Brende responded to this with «thumbs up».
Larry Fink and André Hoffmann, who lead the WEF’s Board of Trustees, thank Brende for his contributions.
– His commitment and leadership have been decisive in an important reform period for the organisation. We respect his decision to step down, Fink and Hoffmann write.