Overview
- Brende announced his departure on February 26, saying the Forum should continue its work without distraction.
- The Forum said an independent audit by an external law firm is complete and found nothing beyond what was already disclosed.
- U.S. Justice Department documents detail more than 100 messages and three meetings between Brende and Jeffrey Epstein in 2018–2019.
- An internal inquiry began in early February after Brende was cited in the Epstein files, and coverage notes that being named does not itself indicate wrongdoing.
- Alois Zwinggi takes over on an interim basis as the board launches a search for a permanent successor, and Brende—who has led since 2017—has expressed regret about not being more transparent about the contacts.