Borge Brende, the chief executive and president of the World Economic Forum, said on Thursday that he would resign, after an independent investigation by the group into his ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
His resignation came less than a month after the release of the latest batch of files related to Mr. Epstein appeared to show that Mr. Brende, a former foreign minister of Norway, had stayed in contact with the disgraced American financier long after Mr. Epstein had been convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
The forum, best known as the organizer of an annual summit for world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, said in a statement that the independent review had not found “additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”
Mr. Brende said that after “careful consideration,” he wanted the forum to continue its work “without distractions.”
“We respect his decision to step down,” the organization added, expressing its appreciation to Mr. Brende for his “instrumental” leadership over a “pivotal period of reforms.”
The forum was rocked last May after its board said it was opening an investigation into allegations of improper behavior by its founder, Klaus Schwab, who had stepped down as chair in April.
Mr. Brende is among several prominent Norwegians named in the documents released by the Justice Department in recent weeks, which exposed how Mr. Epstein had courted decision makers around the world.
In Britain, the Epstein files have shaken its monarchy and government. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, and Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to Washington, have both been arrested over their ties to Mr. Epstein. Several other senior government officials have also resigned.
But other few countries have been as roiled by the disclosures as Norway, a wealthy, oil-producing nation.
This month, Thorbjorn Jagland, a former prime minister, was charged with “gross corruption” in connection with his ties to Mr. Epstein. The future queen, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, said she regretted “having had any contact with Epstein” after emails appeared to show a long, close relationship between them.
And the police are investigating a Norwegian diplomat, Mona Juul, and her husband, Terje Rod-Larsen, after media reports that the couple had been left $10 million in Mr. Epstein’s will. Ms. Juul, who had been Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, quit.
The latest tranche of the files appears to show that Mr. Brende maintained a relationship with Mr. Epstein to at least mid-2019, just months before Mr. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail.
Mr. Brende had previously told Norway’s public broadcaster that he was “completely unaware of his criminal actions and past,” and that he never would have met Mr. Epstein “had I known.”
In March 2019, Mr. Epstein appears to have texted Mr. Brende a letter written by his lawyers that was published in The New York Times.
In the letter, the lawyers reference Mr. Epstein’s previous conviction and say “the number of young women involved in the investigation has been vastly exaggerated,” among other claims.
Mr. Brende appears to have replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
Henrik Pryser Libell contributed reporting from Oslo.
Amelia Nierenberg is a Times reporter covering international news from London.
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