Epstein Files Topple WEF Chief, Rattle Global Elite

A Reckoning Months in the Making

When the U.S. Department of Justice published more than 3.5 million pages of documents on January 30 under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, officials billed it as the final major disclosure. What they could not predict was the scale of the aftershock. Nearly a month later, the files continue to claim careers, trigger criminal investigations, and unsettle the upper echelons of global power.

The latest casualty arrived on Thursday: Børge Brende, the Norwegian diplomat who has led the World Economic Forum since 2017, resigned after an internal review confirmed he had attended three business dinners with Epstein and exchanged emails and text messages with the convicted sex trafficker. At least one dinner took place at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse in September 2018; another occurred just weeks before Epstein's 2019 arrest on federal child sex-trafficking charges.

"Now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions," Brende said in a statement that made no mention of Epstein by name. Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president while the WEF board oversees a leadership transition.

A Global Roster of Casualties

Brende is far from alone. The files have already forced out Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs's chief legal officer, and Brad Karp, chairman of elite law firm Paul, Weiss, after emails documenting extensive contact with Epstein became public. Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard president, announced he would leave Harvard at the end of the academic year amid a campus review of his Epstein ties.

The consequences are sharper still in Europe. In Britain, former ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson was arrested on February 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office — accused of sharing sensitive government documents with Epstein while serving as Business Secretary. Mandelson, released on bail, has denied wrongdoing. The files also show financial transfers totalling $75,000 from Epstein to accounts linked to Mandelson or his partner.

Norway has been particularly hard hit. Thorbjørn Jagland, former prime minister and former secretary-general of the Council of Europe, has been charged with aggravated corruption over his connections to Epstein. Diplomat Mona Juul resigned as Norway's ambassador after her ties to Epstein were revealed. Even Crown Princess Mette-Marit, wife of Crown Prince Haakon, issued a public apology for her long friendship with Epstein after the files documented the relationship in detail.

Criminal Probes Spread Across Borders

France has opened two separate investigations — one into potential human trafficking and sexual crimes, another into financial offenses connected to Epstein's European network. Latvia launched a criminal human trafficking investigation after the files linked Epstein's network to Latvian model agencies.

In the United States, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee for roughly six hours on Thursday, telling investigators she had "no idea" about Epstein's criminal activities and could not recall ever meeting him. The deposition, held behind closed doors, marked the first time a former first couple had been compelled to appear before a congressional panel under subpoena. Clinton later told reporters the session veered into questions about UFOs and the "pizzagate" conspiracy theory, which she dismissed as "political theater."

Accountability Without Charges?

Despite the dramatic breadth of the fallout, one element conspicuously absent is a new wave of U.S. criminal charges. Critics and Democratic lawmakers argue the DOJ has withheld key materials — including FBI victim-interview statements and a draft indictment from a 2007 Florida investigation — undermining the transparency the act was meant to deliver.

The Epstein files have reshaped the reputations of global institutions from Davos to Goldman Sachs to Downing Street. Whether they ultimately reshape accountability in American courts remains the open — and for many, the most important — question.