Khaberni - The CEO of the World Economic Forum, known as the Davos Forum, Borge Brende, has resigned from his position after the disclosure of his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex offender.
According to Bloomberg, a group of documents recently revealed in the Epstein files exposed Brende's arrangements for meeting him at his home for dinner in New York in 2018 and 2019.
Epstein was arrested in the United States in 2019 on sex trafficking charges and died in prison the same year.
The World Economic Forum earlier this month announced an investigation into Brende's relationships with Epstein. The former Norwegian Foreign Minister stated at the time that he "was totally unaware of Epstein's past and criminal activities," acknowledging at the same time that he should have conducted a more comprehensive investigation into him.
Investigation Findings
The co-chairs of the World Economic Forum, Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink, announced today, Thursday, the conclusion of the investigation, adding that the results show "no further concerns beyond what was previously disclosed."
The CEO position at the World Economic Forum is primarily executive, separate from the prominent chairman position held by the founder Klaus Schwab for an extended period.
In a statement issued today, Thursday, Brende said he would step down from his position "after careful consideration," without mentioning Epstein or the investigation, and he has held this position for more than 8 years.
The statement mentioned: "The Board of Trustees will supervise the leadership transition process, including developing a plan to ensure the selection of a permanent successor," and Swiss businessman Alois Zwinggi will assume the role of interim CEO.
This resignation adds to a series of problems the World Economic Forum has been experiencing since last year, following the departure of founder Schwab amid accusations of financial misconduct and disputes with the remaining leadership in the organization.
Davos Concierge
Emails obtained by "Bloomberg" earlier, as well as documents from the Department of Justice, revealed that Epstein described himself as a "concierge - coordinator - of Davos," despite claiming he "hated" the annually held World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
The emails showed that he offered his acquaintances help in arranging meetings with billionaires and government officials during the annual meetings in the Swiss Alps, as well as securing better accommodations in a conference that typically suffers from a lack of available hotel rooms.
A review previously carried out by "J.P. Morgan" revealed messages indicating that Epstein coordinated meetings at the 2010 Davos Forum between British officials and the CEO of the bank Jes Staley.
Bloomberg reported correspondence between Epstein and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, where in December 2013, Epstein wrote to Summers about coordinating a meeting during the Davos Forum, before the records of a subsequent meeting revealed that Epstein participated by phone in a session for a presidential advisory council for Mongolia, and Summers did not respond to requests for comment, according to the agency.
