WEF Chairman Resigns Amid Epstein Email Revelations
Borge Brende, who formerly served as Norway’s foreign minister, stepped down as chairman and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Thursday. After “careful consideration,” he felt that continuing in his role could impede the organization’s efforts.
The latest Davos meeting took place in January, traditionally a prominent gathering for leaders in politics, business, and finance. However, this year’s conference was notably stirred by the presence of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who made headlines with a speech focused on tariffs rather than globalism.
Brende’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein came into the spotlight following the release of Epstein’s emails by the U.S. Department of Justice a month ago. The emails showed that Norwegian diplomats had met with Epstein multiple times between 2018 and 2019, emphasizing several exchanges between them.
While Brende insisted he was unaware of Epstein’s controversial past and claimed their interactions were solely professional, these meetings occurred after Epstein had already served a prison sentence for child sex crimes and was embroiled in further allegations of abuse against young women.
The last recorded meeting between them took place just months before Epstein’s death in an American prison. Rather than just being a distant business associate, the emails revealed more personal communication. For instance, Brende thanked Epstein for a dinner, calling him a “wonderful host,” and expressed that he missed him, showing a connection beyond mere professional necessity.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as Chairman and CEO of the World Economic Forum,” Brende announced. “We engaged with government leaders from around the world like never before. Now seems the right time for the Forum to continue its vital work without distraction.” His interim replacement is Swiss businessman Alois Zwingi.
In a statement following Brende’s resignation, WEF co-chairs Andre Hofmann and Larry Fink acknowledged his substantial contributions to the organization. When the allegations against Brende first arose, the WEF initiated an investigation, and Hofmann and Fink indicated that no new concerns had surfaced beyond what had already been disclosed through their audit process.
This resignation adds to the ripple effect caused by the Epstein emails, which have already led to serious consequences for several prominent figures, including Britain’s former crown prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and Lord Mandelson, a former economy minister. The home of Norway’s former prime minister, Torbjorn Jagland, was also recently searched by police concerning Epstein-related matters.
While the repercussions of the Epstein scandal seem to have developed slowly in the U.S., Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary, announced his resignation from Harvard University this week, having previously stepped down from OpenAI after his name appeared in some of Epstein’s correspondence. Meanwhile, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to testify under oath before members of the U.S. House of Representatives regarding Epstein, with the session taking place behind closed doors.
