Global Business and Political Elites

World Economic Forum CEO and president Børge Brende announced Thursday he is stepping down, saying it is 'the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions' after newly released Justice Department Epstein files showed he had dined with Jeffrey Epstein and triggered an internal probe. In a statement, WEF co‑chairs André Hoffmann and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said their independent review found 'no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed,' but Brende’s departure underscores how politically and reputationally toxic any documented Epstein ties have become. Axios notes this is part of a broader cascade of high‑profile resignations and investigations: former Harvard president Larry Summers is leaving his Harvard posts and the OpenAI board, Hyatt heir Tom Pritzker is retiring as executive chair, Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp and Goldman Sachs top lawyer Kathy Ruemmler have quit their roles, LA28 Olympic chair and talent agent Casey Wasserman is selling his agency amid calls to step down, CBS contributor and longevity doctor Peter Attia has exited corporate roles, and NFL owner Steve Tisch is being probed by the league. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is also facing bipartisan calls to resign over a deeper‑than‑acknowledged Epstein relationship, raising direct questions about a sitting cabinet official. On social media, the pattern is fueling demands—across the spectrum—for full, unredacted release of the "Epstein files" and for institutions to explain why elites continued dealing with a convicted sex offender long after 2008.