WEF CEO Børge Brende resigns; Jeffrey Epstein probe concludes

by · UPI

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Børge Brende resigned his position as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum on Thursday after an investigation into his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein found "no additional concerns."

André Hoffman and Larry Fink, co-chairmen of the WEF's board of trustees, said Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and CEO of the forum.

Brende's "dedication and leadership have been instrumental during a pivotal period of reforms for this organization, leading to a successful annual meeting in Davos," Hoffman and Fink said in a joint statement. "We respect his decision to step down."

Brende has led the WEF, headquartered in Davos, Switzerland, since 2017 and before that served various roles in the Norwegian government as a member of the Conservative Party. He issued a statement describing his time at the WEF as "profoundly rewarding."

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"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," he said.

The WEF announced in early February that it was investigating Brende over his friendship with Epstein. Hoffman and Fink, in their statement Thursday, said the independent probe has been completed.

"The findings stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed," they said.

A document dump from the U.S. Justice Department showed that Brende and Epstein attended at least three "business dinners." The two also traded text messages and emails.

Brende denied knowing Epstein as recently as November, but admitted they knew each other after the document release. He said he was "completely unaware of Epstein's past and criminal activities" and wouldn't have been in contact with him if he had known.

Epstein, a wealthy financier with his own private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution and was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 before dying by suicide in jail.

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