World Economic Forum head steps down amid pressure on Epstein links – National
The head of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende, said on Thursday that he is stepping down after facing pressure over his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, said in a statement that he had decided “after careful consideration” to step down as president and chief executive of the forum, which is known for its annual January summit in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos.
“I am grateful for the wonderful cooperation with our partners, colleagues, and voters, and I believe that now is the right time for the Forum to continue its important work without interruption,” said Brende in a statement issued by the WEF.
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Brende was Norway’s foreign minister from 2013-2017 and is one of the few prominent Norwegians to have faced scrutiny following the recent release of the Epstein files.
He did not specifically address that dispute in Thursday’s statement, but the WEF announced earlier this month that it would open an internal review into Brende’s relationship with Epstein after files revealed the two had dined together numerous times and exchanged text messages.
Brende told Norwegian broadcaster NRK at the time that he was cooperating with the investigation, that he only met Epstein in business circumstances and that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
WEF co-chairs André Hoffmann and Larry Fink said in a statement that “an independent review by external consultants has been completed. The findings revealed no additional concerns beyond those previously disclosed.”
They said Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and executive committee.
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