Former Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende has stepped down as president and chief executive officer of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in light of the recent Epstein revelations. In a statement released on Thursday, he said, “After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum”. He added that “now is the right time for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions”. Epstein’s name was not mentioned in his resignation note.
Co‑chairmen André Hoffmann and Larry Fink announced that they would respect Brende’s decision and appointed Alois Zwinggi as interim president and CEO. The WEF’s board of trustees will oversee the leadership transition and will also steer a formal process to find a permanent successor.
Brende’s departure follows an independent investigation into his contacts with Jeffrey Epstein. The investigation has now concluded, with the co‑chairmen stating that the findings show “there are no further concerns beyond those already disclosed”.
