World Economic Forum president Borge Brende quits over Epstein ties

Move comes weeks after ⁠forum ‌launched independent investigation ​

Borge Brende became president of the WEF in 2017. AFP

​Borge Brende, the ​president ​and ⁠chief executive of the World ⁠Economic Forum, has resigned, weeks after the forum launched an investigation ​into his ties with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr Brende, who became president of the WEF in 2017, said on Thursday that he had made the decision to step down “after careful consideration”.

“My time here, spanning eight and a half years, has been profoundly rewarding,” he said in a statement shared by the forum.

“We have seen a record number of partners join us, and we have had a very successful annual meeting in Davos behind us, where we engaged with governmental leaders from all over the world like never before.

“I believe now is the right moment for the forum to continue its important work without distractions,” added Mr Brende, without any mention of Epstein.

Redacted documents from the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice. AFP

The move came after ​the ‌US Justice Department released files that ​showed that Mr Brende ‌had been on three business dinners ⁠with Epstein and ⁠had also communicated with him via email and text ​message.

Andre Hoffmann ⁠and Larry Fink, co-chairs of ​the WEF, said in the statement that the independent review conducted by outside counsel had concluded.

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

They also announced that Alois Zwinggi will serve as WEF interim president and chief executive. The board of trustees will oversee the leadership transition, “including the plan to drive a proper process to identify a permanent successor”, they said.

“We wish to express our sincere appreciation for Borge Brende's significant contributions to the World Economic Forum … We respect his decision to step down,” the co-chairs added.

The release of the files by the US has heightened scrutiny of Epstein's connections with public figures, including Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was briefly arrested this month and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, as well as former ⁠US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who this week resigned from teaching ​at Harvard University.