Overview
- Børge Brende announced he is stepping down as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, saying it is the right moment for the Forum to continue its work without distractions.
- The WEF said its outside review into Brende’s Epstein contacts concluded with no new issues identified beyond what had already been reported.
- The board named managing director Alois Zwinggi interim president and CEO, with co-chairs André Hoffmann and Larry Fink overseeing the transition and the search for a permanent successor.
- U.S. Department of Justice documents show Brende attended three dinners with Epstein in New York in 2018–2019 and exchanged emails and text messages, with references to Brende appearing more than 60 times in the records.
- Brende has said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal past and expressed regret for the interactions, and there are no public indications he faces criminal charges.