The move, disclosed on Thursday, follows the forum’s decision to launch an independent investigation into Brende’s association with Epstein.
The president and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Børge Brende, has announced he is stepping down, expressing regret over how he handled his past relationship with U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende’s decision, disclosed Thursday, comes weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his ties to Epstein. The probe followed disclosures from the U.S. Justice Department revealing that Brende attended three business dinners with Epstein and exchanged emails and text messages with him.
In a statement issued by the WEF, Brende said: “After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning eight and a half years, has been profoundly rewarding.”
While the forum’s statement did not mention Epstein, Brende told Norwegian media he regretted how he handled the association and did not want the matter to become a distraction for the organisation, which convenes global leaders annually in Davos.
Brende, who became WEF president in 2017 after serving as Norway’s foreign minister, has previously said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal history before meeting him in 2018. He acknowledged he should have conducted more thorough background checks.
In an interview with Norwegian business daily Dagens Næringsliv, Brende said that although the independent review found no previously undisclosed issues, the controversy risked overshadowing the forum’s work.
“Like many others, I have felt a great deal of discomfort at being linked to Jeffrey Epstein, and I was concerned the contact would be portrayed as something other than what it was. That is the honest answer,” he said.
He also admitted he regretted not being more transparent about the dinners and subsequent communications.
Text messages from 2018-2019 released in the Epstein files suggest a friendly tone between the two men. In the exchanges, Brende described Epstein as a “brilliant host” and wrote “missing you Sir” after a dinner that reportedly included former Trump aide Steve Bannon and a former Norwegian government minister. Their last known communication occurred about a week before Epstein’s arrest in 2019.
Epstein had been convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor and later faced federal sex-trafficking charges. He died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. The U.S. Justice Department has since released more than three million pages of documents related to the case, renewing scrutiny of his associations with prominent figures.
In a separate statement, WEF co-chairs André Hoffmann and Larry Fink said the independent review conducted by external counsel into Brende’s ties with Epstein had concluded and found no additional concerns beyond those already disclosed.
“His dedication and leadership have been instrumental during a pivotal period of reforms for the organization, leading to a successful annual meeting in Davos,” they said.
The forum announced that Managing Director Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and CEO. The Board of Trustees will oversee the transition and begin the process of identifying a permanent successor.
Brende’s resignation marks a significant leadership shift for the Geneva-based organisation as it seeks to move past the controversy and refocus on its global policy and economic agenda.