Borge Brende has announced he is resigning as head of the World Economic Forum, which organises the annual Davos summit, after revelations of his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum," the former Norwegian foreign minister said in a statement on Thursday, February 26.
He said his 8.5 years at the helm had "been profoundly rewarding" but that he believed "now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions.”
The WEF earlier this month said it would conduct an independent review of Brende's interactions with Epstein after his name turned up dozens of times in the millions of documents released by the US Justice Department in the case of the convicted sex offender, TRT World reported.
The WEF also announced that the review of Brende had been concluded.
"The findings stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed," it said.
The organisation expressed "sincere appreciation for Borge Brende's significant contributions to the World Economic Forum", adding, "We respect his decision to step down."
WEF said that its managing director, Alois Zwinggi, had been appointed interim president and CEO while the board begins the process of finding a permanent successor for Brende.
Brende said in a statement earlier this month that during a visit to New York in 2018, he received an invitation from former Norwegian deputy prime minister Terje Rod-Larsen to join him for dinner with several other leaders, plus "someone who was presented to me as an American investor, Jeffrey Epstein."
