World Economic Forum (WEF) President and CEO Børge Brende announced Thursday he is resigning following a review into his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende, the former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs who has served as the president of WEF since October 2017, said in a statement that he made the decision to step down “after careful consideration.” The announcement comes after documents recently released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Brende had previously attended three business dinners with Epstein and had also communicated with him by email and text messages, CNBC reported.
In part of a September 2018 email exchange, Epstein and Brende discussed their views on the future of WEF’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, with Epstein claiming he thinks the global summit “can really replace the UN.” Additionally, during one text message exchange in June 2019, Epstein appeared to send Brende a photo of a woman he referred to as “mss piggy.”
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8½ years, has been profoundly rewarding,” Brende, a member of Norway’s Conservative Party, said in his Thursday statement. “We have seen a record number of partners join us, and we have had a very successful Annual Meeting in Davos behind us, where we engaged with governmental leaders from all over the world like never before. I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners, and constituents, and I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions.”
“I extend my deepest thanks to the Co-Chairs, André Hoffmann and Larry Fink, for their unwavering support and partnership,” he continued, naming the CEO of investment company BlackRock. “I am proud of our shared achievements and look forward to the Forum’s future successes under the leadership of my colleague, Alois Zwinggi, as Interim President and CEO.”
The WEF referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to its news release when reached for comment.
In a separate joint statement issued on Thursday, WEF Co-Chairs Hoffmann and Fink expressed their “sincere appreciation” for Brende’s “significant contributions” to the WEF.
“His dedication and leadership have been instrumental during a pivotal period of reforms for the organization, leading to a successful annual meeting in Davos,” the co-chairs said. “We respect his decision to step down.”
“We are pleased to announce that Alois Zwinggi will serve as Interim President and CEO and looking forward to his continued collaboration and partnership over time,” they added. “The Board of Trustees will oversee the leadership transition including the plan to drive a proper process to identify a permanent successor.”
The WEF announced in early February that it was probing Brende over his relationship with Epstein, Politico reported on Feb. 5.
Fink and Hoffman confirmed in their Thursday statement that “the independent review” into Brende has now concluded, adding that the investigation’s findings “stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”
Former Harvard president Larry Summers similarly resigned from his professorship on Wednesday over his relationship to Epstein.
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