WEF CEO Borge Brende Resigns Amid Epstein Ties

Borge Brende, the president and chief executive of the World Economic Forum, announced his resignation on Thursday, stepping down from the organization he has led since 2017 amid scrutiny over his past contacts with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Geneva-based forum, known for hosting the annual Davos summit, initiated an independent investigation into Brende's association with Epstein several weeks ago. The probe, conducted by outside counsel, concluded with findings that raised no additional concerns beyond previously disclosed information, according to a statement from co-chairs Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink. Disclosures from the U.S. Justice Department revealed that Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, had three business dinners with Epstein starting in 2018 and exchanged emails and text messages with him. Brende has stated that he was unaware of Epstein's criminal history at the time of their first meeting and expressed regret for not conducting a more thorough background check.

In his resignation statement, Brende made no direct reference to Epstein. "After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as president and CEO of the World Economic...