The World Economic Forum (WEF) just launched an independent review into its President and CEO, Børge Brende, following the exposure of his contact with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. This is a huge development, especially since Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, had actually denied knowing Epstein as recently as November.
The full extent of the relationship is now out in the open, confirmed by the WEF itself after the U.S. Justice Department released new documents detailing the connection. We now know Brende participated in three business dinners with Epstein between 2018 and 2019, along with exchanging emails and SMS messages.
Politico reported that Brende is cooperating fully with the independent review, which he requested. He stated that he had been “completely unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities” and insisted he would have refused any communication or invitations if he had known the truth.
There is a vast difference between not knowing the man and not knowing his background
Brende did offer a mea culpa, though, acknowledging the failure in due diligence. “I recognize that I could have conducted a more thorough investigation into Epstein’s history, and I regret not doing so,” he said. Honestly, it’s pretty baffling that someone in such a globally visible position wouldn’t conduct a quick check on a high-profile financier before having multiple private dinners with him. Epstein had already pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution back in 2008.
The documents reveal Epstein wasn’t just casually networking; he was actively trying to leverage his connection with Brende to turn Davos into a private club for the ultra-rich. Epstein made it clear that he saw the elite gathering in Switzerland as something that “can really replace the UN.” He also used Brende’s name to try to score invitations to the WEF for his powerful friends, offering to help connect former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and tech billionaire Peter Thiel.
This scandal comes at a time when the WEF’s founder, Klaus Schwab, resigned amid whistleblower allegations about his management of the organization. While a probe found “no evidence of material wrongdoing,” they haven’t appointed a new permanent chair yet. The WEF confirmed Brende will continue his duties during the investigation, but won’t be involved in the process itself to maintain “the Forum’s commitment to transparency and maintaining its integrity.”
This new dump of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has come with a lot of new allegations. In addition to providing new information about what his billionaire friends participated in, emails also established a new relationship between him and JK Rowling.
Published: Feb 6, 2026 11:41 am