The head of the World Economic Forum has stepped down following an investigation into his ties to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Borge Brende, the president and CEO of the Geneva-based advocacy group, said on Thursday that he was resigning from the role as an independent investigation into his ties to Epstein concluded.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum,” he said. “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.”
Mr Brende, who previously held senior roles in Norway’s government, made no mention of Epstein in his resignation statement.
Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink, co-chairs of the forum behind the annual Davos summit of the global elite, said separately on Thursday that an independent review into Mr Brende’s links to Epstein had concluded. The findings stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what had been previously disclosed, a statement added.
The so-called Epstein files released by the US justice department showed that Brende had attended three business dinners with Epstein and also communicated with him by email and text.
Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not suggest wrongdoing. Brende previously said he was unaware of Epstein’s past when they were in contact.
Norwegian authorities launched a major corruption probe into government officials this month after the files revealed years of correspondence between Epstein and former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland.
Norway’s economic crime unit said it was investigating Mr Jagland for “aggravated corruption” after carrying out its own review of the files. The documents suggested Mr Jagland, 75, stayed at Epstein’s home during a period when he held some of Europe’s most influential diplomatic posts. He served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997, led the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019, and chaired the Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015.
Mr Jagland’s lawyer, Anders Brosveet, said his client would fully cooperate with the investigation.
In a statement emailed to The Independent he said the investigation was being viewed “positively”, and that it was “important” that questions over Mr Jagland’s conduct are “clarified in a proper and professional manner”.
He said: “We will submit our key findings and the relevant documentation to Økokrim as soon as it is practically possible. We wish to contribute fully so that Økokrim has a solid basis for its assessment. Based on what we have uncovered so far, we remain confident about the outcome.”
