Børge Brende, the President and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), announced his resignation Thursday, becoming the latest high-profile casualty of the “Epstein files.” His departure comes just weeks after he shared the global stage with U.S. President Donald Trump at the annual summit in Davos, Switzerland.
Brende’s exit followed an independent investigation into his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While the internal review found no evidence of legal wrongdoing, the revelation of numerous private meetings and friendly correspondence between the two men made Brende’s continued leadership tenable.
A Sudden Fall from the Davos Stage
The resignation marks a stunning reversal for Brende, a former Norwegian Foreign Minister who has led the WEF for 8½ years. Only last month, he was the face of the prestigious gathering in the Swiss Alps, where he moderated a high-stakes Q&A with President Trump.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down,” Brende said in a statement released Thursday. “I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions.”
The WEF Board of Trustees has appointed Alois Zwinggi as interim president while a global search for a permanent successor begins.
The “Epstein Files” Exposure
The scrutiny intensified this month after the U.S. Department of Justice released a massive cache of documents, including millions of emails and text messages detailing Epstein’s extensive social network. The files revealed that Brende:
- Attended at least three business dinners with Epstein between 2018 and 2019.
- Hosted Epstein at his home and visited Epstein’s Manhattan mansion.
- Exchanged “friendly” messages, including one in which Brende referred to Epstein as a “brilliant host.”
Brende previously stated he was “completely unaware” of Epstein’s criminal history, which included a 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor. However, records show their communication continued until just one week before Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal trafficking charges.
A Growing List of Oustings
Brende joins a rapidly expanding list of global elites forced out by the 2026 document releases. The fallout has reached into every corner of power:
| Name | Former Position | Reason for Departure |
| Larry Summers | Harvard Professor/Ex-Treasury Sec. | Extensive ties revealed in DOJ files. |
| Thomas Pritzker | Hyatt Hotels Executive Chairman | Resigned following DOJ document dump. |
| Kathy Ruemmler | Goldman Sachs Top Lawyer | Stepped down after gift exchanges surfaced. |
| Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem | DP World CEO | Ousted following name surfacing in files. |
Institutional Instability at WEF
Brende’s departure leaves the World Economic Forum in a state of leadership flux. It follows the exit of founding chairman Klaus Schwab last year, who stepped down under a separate cloud of whistleblower allegations regarding misconduct.
WEF co-chairs Larry Fink and Andre Hoffmann expressed gratitude for Brende’s “instrumental” leadership during a period of reform, but the organization now faces a dual challenge: restoring its public image and maintaining its role as the premier venue for global elite cooperation.
