World Economic Forum CEO Borge Brende resigns over Epstein revelations

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by ReutersFebruary 26, 2026 at 01:50 PM

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Borge Brende resigned as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Thursday after disclosures revealed his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Brende, who assumed the role in 2017, had three business dinners with Epstein and communicated with him via email and text message. The WEF had launched an independent investigation into their relationship prior to Brende's resignation. Brende stated he was unaware of Epstein's criminal history when they first met in 2018 and regretted not investigating him more thoroughly. His departure comes amidst widespread scrutiny of Epstein's connections to prominent figures in business and politics.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

British royal family 30% Norway 40% United States Justice Department 50% World Economic Forum ×380% Borge Brende ×690% Jeffrey Epstein ×590%

Keywords

jeffrey epstein 100% resignation 90% borge brende 90% world economic forum 80% sex offender 70% revelations 60% independent investigation 50% soliciting prostitution 40% business dinners 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Norway

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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jeffrey epstein resignation borge brende world economic forum sex offender revelations independent investigation soliciting prostitution business dinners

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