Børge Brende , president and chief executive of the World Economic Forum, said he would step down from his role after the organization conducted a review into his past connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein .
In a statement Thursday, Brende said he had chosen to resign after careful consideration. “I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” he said.
The WEF—the organization behind the high-profile annual meeting of executives and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland—initiated an inquiry earlier this month following the release of millions of documents related to Epstein by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a separate statement, co-chairs of the Geneva-based forum, Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink said the independent review into Brende’s ties with Epstein had concluded.
Brende, a leading political figure in Norway and the country’s former foreign minister, has previously denied wrongdoing.
“We wish to express our sincere appreciation for Børge Brende’s significant contributions to the World Economic Forum,” the co-chairs said. “His dedication and leadership have been instrumental during a pivotal period of reforms for the organization, leading to a successful annual meeting in Davos. We respect his decision to step down.”
Brende hosted a Q&A session with President Trump during the Davos summit last month.
Alois Zwinggi will take over as interim president and CEO while the board manages the transition to new leadership.
The latest release of Epstein files has rocked Europe’s political establishment in recent weeks, spurring investigations into several prominent figures.
Earlier this month, Norway’s police opened an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland for suspected “aggravated corruption” based on information in the released Epstein files. Jagland was formerly a chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize committee and the head of the Council of Europe, one of the continent’s top human-rights organizations. He has also denied wrongdoing.
The forum review focused on three business dinners Brende had with Epstein in 2018 and 2019, as well as subsequent emails and texts between them.
Brende has previously said he was first invited to a 2018 dinner at Epstein’s house by Terje Rød-Larsen , a former Norwegian diplomat and close friend of the late financier. Brende attended two other dinners the following year with other leaders present. “I was completely unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities,” he said, adding that he regretted not looking into Epstein’s history.
The Epstein disclosures had threatened to deepen divisions in the top ranks of the WEF. The organization has been rocked by management tumult that last year saw the resignation of its founder, Klaus Schwab . Infighting over who should run it has continued, according to people involved in internal discussions.
Write to Gareth Vipers at gareth.vipers@wsj.com
