WEF CEO Borge Brende Resigns After Jeffrey Epstein Ties Scrutinised
2 min readUpdated: Feb 26, 2026 05:24 PM IST
Borge Brende, president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, said Thursday he was resigning, a few weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende, who became president of the WEF in 2017, announced his decision in a statement following disclosures from the US Justice Department that showed the Norwegian had three business dinners with Epstein and had also communicated with the disgraced financier via email and text message, news agency Reuters reported.
The co-chairs said the WEF’s Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and CEO, and that the forum’s Board of Trustees will oversee the leadership transition, including a plan to drive a process to identify a permanent successor.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8-1/2 years, has been profoundly rewarding,” 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,” added Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister. Brende made no mention of Epstein.
In a separate statement, Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink, co-chairs of the Geneva-based forum that organises the annual Davos summit, said the independent review conducted by outside counsel into Brende’s ties with Epstein had concluded.
The findings stated there were no additional concerns beyond what had been previously disclosed, it added.