World Economic Forum launches probe into CEO over Epstein contacts

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - The World Economic Forum (WEF) launched an independent investigation into its President and CEO Borge Brende, to clarify his past contacts with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Swiss Info news portal reported on Thursday.

Brende attended three dinners at which Epstein was also present and had exchanged emails and text messages with him, according to media reports.

In a written statement, the WEF said the decision to initiate the investigation "underlines its commitment to transparency and the preservation of integrity."

The forum added that Brende is cooperating fully with the probe and will continue to carry out his duties as president and CEO during the process.

Brende said his encounters with Epstein took place in the context of business meetings and that he was not aware at the time of Epstein's criminal background.

He acknowledged, however, that he should have conducted more thorough background checks and expressed regret over not doing so.

The US Justice Department recently released over 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images related to Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by US President Donald Trump on Nov. 19 last year.

The files included photos of prominent figures, grand jury transcripts, and investigative records, though many pages were heavily redacted to protect victims.

Epstein was found dead by suicide by hanging in a New York City jail on Aug. 10, 2019 while awaiting trial. He was facing federal charges for operating a sex trafficking network involving underage girls and women, with his death occurring while in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.