World Economic Forum President Resigns Over Epstein Ties

Borge Brende, the chief executive 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 from the organizer of the annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, came less than a month after the release of the latest batch of files related to Mr. Epstein revealed that Mr. Brende, a former foreign minister of Norway, had stayed in contact with the disgraced American financier long after he had been convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

“We respect his decision to step down,” the forum said in its statement, expressing its appreciation to Mr. Brende for his “instrumental” leadership over a “pivotal period of reforms.”

Mr. Brende said that after “careful consideration,” he wanted the forum to continue its work “without distractions.”

He 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.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.