The World Economic Forum (WEF) quietly launched an independent review earlier this month into its CEO, Børge Brende, over his past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, Bloomberg reports.
Files released by the Department of Justice show Epstein and Brende had three dinners in 2018 and 2019, and exchanged various text messages. One dinner occurred in September 2018, more than a decade after Epstein’s 2008 conviction and guilty plea in Florida for procuring a child for prostitution, and another on June 13, 2019, shortly before Epstein’s final arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Like many powerful figures, Brende has claimed that he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal history at the time of their meetings, and is said to have ordered the probe into his communications with Epstein.
“I was completely unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities,” Brende said in a statement to Bloomberg. “Had I known about his background, I would have declined the initial invitation and any subsequent dinner invitations or other communications.”
“I recognize that I could have conducted a more thorough investigation into Epstein’s history, and I regret not doing so,” he added.
Klaus Schwab, who founded the WEF in 1971, has maintained that he is “certain” that he never met with Epstein, a press representative told Bloomberg.
Beyond Brende’s direct contacts, the released files highlight Epstein’s broader efforts to leverage the prestige of the WEF’s annual Davos meeting. Despite reportedly claiming to “hate” the Forum in private, Epstein positioned himself as a self-described “Davos concierge” to facilitate access for his associates.
For instance, in late 2009, months after his release from Florida incarceration, Epstein corresponded with Boris Nikolic, an immunologist and regular Davos attendee, offering to arrange one-on-one meetings. “I can organize a 1:1 meeting with most people there. One ‘virtual currency’ I have is access ;),” Epstein wrote while sharing a participant list, according to Bloomberg.
In 2011, Nikolic turned to Epstein for help securing time with Bill Gates, lamenting the difficulty of reaching the billionaire. Epstein suggested pitching Gates on attending a dinner, listing potential attendees, and signed off as “your truly, the davos concierge.”
UK broadcaster Channel 4 News reported that the Justice Department has so far released 3.5 million files, amounting to more than 300 GB, representing roughly only 2 percent of the total data volume that investigators referenced as recently as last year. Internal emails indicating that federal investigators expected to handle between 20 and 40 terabytes of data seized from Epstein’s properties, the report said.
Earlier estimates from 2020 put the total volume of files at up to 50 terabytes. More recently, in 2025, officials referred to approximately 14.6 terabytes of archived data under review.
The release of additional Epstein-related documents by the Department of Justice continues to draw attention to a range of high-profile individuals from business and politics, whose names appear in the files.
Thomas J. Pritzker, the longtime executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, announced his immediate retirement on Monday and confirmed he will not seek re-election to the company’s board.
In a statement to the board and released publicly, Pritzker expressed regret over his past association with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Pritzker described maintaining contact as “terrible judgment” and acknowledged there was no excuse for not distancing himself sooner.
“I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell, and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims,” he added.
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