THE DAVOS CONNECTION: WEF Elite and the Epstein Index

How the World Economic Forum’s Inner Circle Became Entangled in the Epstein Network

By Bernd Pulch | February 27, 2026 | berndpulch.org

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On February 26, 2026, Børge Brende, the president and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), resigned following an independent investigation into his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. His departure marked the most significant institutional casualty yet in the unfolding Epstein files fallout—but he was far from alone.

The WEF, which annually convenes the global elite in Davos, Switzerland, has seen multiple figures from its leadership and attendee ranks exposed in the Epstein Index. From dinner invitations at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse to candid email exchanges, the documents reveal a pattern of engagement that continued years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.

This public report examines every WEF-affiliated individual identified in the Epstein Index, with documentation of professional consequences spanning five countries and a dozen institutional leaders.

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PART I: THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM UNDER SIEGE

What Is the World Economic Forum?

The World Economic Forum is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1971. Its flagship event, the annual meeting in Davos, attracts heads of state, CEOs of the world’s largest corporations, Nobel laureates, and cultural leaders.

The WEF Investigation

In early February 2026, following the DOJ’s release of approximately 3.5 million documents, the World Economic Forum launched an independent investigation into its president and CEO, Børge Brende. The probe focused on three business dinners Brende attended at Epstein’s Manhattan home in 2018 and 2019, as well as accompanying email and text exchanges.

WEF co-chairs André Hoffmann (Swiss billionaire) and Larry Fink (CEO of BlackRock) announced the investigation’s conclusion on February 26, stating they had found “no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.” That same day, Brende resigned.

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PART II: THE PRINCIPAL FIGURE – BØRGE BRENDE

Detail Information
Name Børge Brende
Nationality Norwegian
Age 60
Position President and CEO, World Economic Forum (2017–2026)
Previous Roles Norwegian Foreign Minister, Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister of Environment
Status Resigned February 26, 2026

The Evidence

The Epstein files contain multiple documented interactions between Brende and Jeffrey Epstein spanning 2018–2019.

September 2018: Following a dinner at Epstein’s home, Brende sent Epstein a message: “Thank you for a very interesting dinner. Food for thought. You’re a brilliant host.” Epstein responded warmly: “Both Bannon, Leon and I were very impressed with you.” Epstein attached a photograph showing Brende with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen.

June 2019: Brende corresponded with an Epstein assistant to arrange another dinner at Epstein’s home—mere weeks before Epstein’s arrest on sex trafficking charges. In a separate message, Brende informed Epstein: “Just met your friend POTUS”—apparently referring to President Donald Trump.

Epstein also sent Brende what appears to be a photograph of a woman he labeled “mss piggy.”

Brende’s Response

In a statement, Brende said he was “completely unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities” and would have declined the dinner invitations had he known. Upon his resignation, he stated: “After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the WEF. My time here, spanning 8½ years, has been profoundly rewarding. I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions.”

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PART III: THE WEF AFFILIATES NETWORK

Beyond Brende, multiple individuals connected to the World Economic Forum appear in the Epstein Index. Some attended Davos. Some served on WEF boards. Others held leadership positions in WEF-partner organizations.

1. Thorbjørn Jagland

Detail Information
Name Thorbjørn Jagland
Nationality Norwegian
Position Former Prime Minister of Norway; former head of Norwegian Nobel Committee
Status Charged with “aggravated corruption” (January 2026); hospitalized after suicide attempt

Jagland was formally charged with aggravated corruption after police investigated his ties to Epstein. The charges stem from allegations he accepted gifts, travel, and loans from Epstein in connection with his official positions. The Council of Europe, where Jagland served as Secretary General from 2009 to 2019, waived his immunity to permit prosecution. On February 25, 2026, he was hospitalized following a suicide attempt.

2. Mona Juul & Terje Rød-Larsen

Name Position Status
Mona Juul Ambassador to Jordan Resigned
Terje Rød-Larsen Diplomat; UN official Under investigation

Juul resigned her ambassadorship after her contact with Epstein was revealed. Her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, a key figure in the Oslo Accords peace process, appeared in the Brende-Bannon photograph circulated by Epstein and faces scrutiny.

3. Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Detail Information
Name Crown Princess Mette-Marit
Nationality Norwegian
Position Future Queen of Norway
Status Issued two public apologies; not charged

The Crown Princess’s intimate emails with Epstein—calling him “sweetheart” and staying at his Palm Beach home in 2013—have been extensively documented. She has issued two apologies for her association.

4. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem

Detail Information
Name Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
Nationality Emirati
Position Chairman and CEO, DP World
Status Resigned February 2026

Bin Sulayem’s name was among six initially redacted “powerful men” identified by Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie in February 2026. The critical evidence: a 2009 email from Epstein to bin Sulayem reading: “Where are you? Are you ok, I loved the torture video.” Further emails from September 2015 show bin Sulayem writing Epstein “extremely personal and candid messages.”

5. Thomas Pritzker

Detail Information
Name Thomas Pritzker
Nationality American
Position Executive Chairman, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Status Resigned February 2026

Pritzker stepped down from his role as executive chairman of Hyatt after emails with Epstein emerged. In a statement, the billionaire Hyatt heir said: “I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.”

6. Peter Mandelson

Detail Information
Name Peter Mandelson
Nationality British
Position Former UK Ambassador to the US; Labour Party figure
Status Resigned from party membership; arrested February 2026

Mandelson was arrested by the Metropolitan Police “on suspicion of misconduct in public office.” His resignation from the Labour Party and the House of Lords followed revelations of financial links and contacts with Epstein dating back years.

7. Lawrence Summers

Detail Information
Name Lawrence Summers
Nationality American
Position Former US Treasury Secretary; former Harvard President
Status Resigned from Harvard professorship and OpenAI board

Summers, who had previously admitted to a “major error of judgment” in his interactions with Epstein, resigned from his Harvard faculty position and from the board of OpenAI following renewed scrutiny.

8. Brad Karp

Detail Information
Name Brad Karp
Nationality American
Position Chairman, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Status Resigned February 2026

The files contained multiple exchanges: in 2015, Karp thanked Epstein for “an evening I’ll never forget.” In 2016, Karp asked Epstein for help getting his son a job on the set of a Woody Allen movie. In 2019, Epstein asked Steve Bannon to help get Karp admitted to the exclusive Augusta Golf Club. Upon resigning, Karp stated: “Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.”

9. Kathryn Ruemmler

Detail Information
Name Kathryn Ruemmler
Nationality American
Position Chief Legal Officer, Goldman Sachs; former White House Counsel to President Obama
Status Resigned February 2026

Ruemmler resigned after emails showed her close relationship with Epstein and her downplaying of his sex crimes. She also stepped down as chair of the Securities Investor Protection Corp.

10. Howard Lutnick

Detail Information
Name Howard Lutnick
Nationality American
Position US Commerce Secretary; former CEO, Cantor Fitzgerald
Status Faces bipartisan calls to resign

The Epstein files contradict Lutnick’s previous claims:

· December 2012: Emails show Lutnick and his family joined Epstein for a meal on Little Saint James.
· 2015: Lutnick invited Epstein to a Hillary Clinton fundraiser.
· 2017: Epstein received an email thanking him for a $50,000 donation “in honor of Howard Lutnick.”

Lutnick had previously claimed he cut ties with Epstein in 2005.

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PART IV: THE NORWEGIAN CLUSTER

Norway has emerged as an unexpected epicenter of Epstein fallout, with multiple figures entangled:

Name Position Status
Børge Brende WEF CEO Resigned
Thorbjørn Jagland Former PM Charged; hospitalized
Mona Juul Ambassador Resigned
Terje Rød-Larsen Diplomat Under investigation
Crown Princess Mette-Marit Royal Two apologies

The concentration of Norwegian elite in Epstein’s orbit raises questions about how a small country’s leadership became so deeply connected to a convicted sex offender.

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PART V: THE RESIGNATION TIMELINE

Date Individual Position Action
June 2025 James Kerr UK Councillor Resigned
Sept 2025 Peter Mandelson UK Ambassador Dismissed
Dec 2025 Miroslav Lajčák Slovak Adviser Resigned
Jan 2026 Thorbjørn Jagland Norwegian ex-PM Charged
Feb 5, 2026 Brad Karp Paul Weiss Chair Resigned
Feb 11, 2026 Sultan bin Sulayem DP World CEO Resigned
Feb 18, 2026 Various Multiple leaders Resigned
Feb 19, 2026 Prince Andrew Royal Arrested
Feb 25, 2026 Thorbjørn Jagland – Hospitalized
Feb 26, 2026 Børge Brende WEF CEO Resigned

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PART VI: THE EPSTEIN INDEX CONTEXT

Metric Value
Total Unique Individuals 39,847
Total Unique Organizations 10,626
Total Entities 50,473
Pages Reviewed 3,500,000+
WEF-Affiliated Individuals Identified 30+
Resignations/Charges (WEF-affiliated) 25+

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PART VII: ANALYSIS – WHY DAVOS?

The concentration of Epstein connections within the World Economic Forum orbit is not coincidental. Davos represents exactly the kind of environment Epstein cultivated: elite, transactional, and unaccountable.

Several factors explain the overlap:

1. Access Economy

Epstein positioned himself as a gateway to power. His dinner table at 9 East 71st Street was, in effect, a miniature Davos—assembling billionaires, politicians, and intellectuals in an intimate setting.

2. The Philanthropy Circuit

Many WEF attendees intersect through philanthropic foundations. Gates, Soros, and Rockefeller networks overlapped with Epstein’s social circle.

3. The Norwegian Anomaly

Norway’s disproportionate representation may reflect Epstein’s specific targeting of Scandinavian elites, or simply the small size of Norway’s elite making connections more visible.

4. The Reputation Shield

WEF attendees believed themselves immune from scrutiny. The Epstein files have shattered that assumption.

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PART VIII: WHAT THIS REPORT IS NOT

🚫 Not an accusation index – Inclusion reflects document presence, not culpability

🚫 Not a guilt ranking – Many individuals appear in passing or without knowledge

🚫 Not a conspiracy roster – Some connections are purely professional

✅ It is a transparency document showing institutional overlaps

✅ It is a research tool for understanding elite networks

The presumption of innocence applies to all individuals not charged with a crime.

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CONCLUSION: THE DAVOS EFFECT

Børge Brende’s resignation is not the end of the WEF story—it is a beginning. The documents have revealed that the president of the world’s most exclusive gathering of global leaders dined repeatedly with a convicted sex offender, exchanged pleasantries, and maintained contact until weeks before Epstein’s final arrest.

The question is not whether Brende knew of Epstein’s crimes. The question is why so many of the world’s most powerful people found value in a relationship with a man who was, by then, publicly identified as a predator.

The Epstein Index will continue tracking every WEF-affiliated name, every resignation, and every investigation. The Davos elite built their network on access and influence. The files have now shown us what that network enabled.

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ACCESS THE FULL DATABASE

For the complete Epstein Index with source links, email excerpts, and continuous updates:
👉 patreon.com/berndpulch

For free public excerpts and breaking news analysis:
👉 berndpulch.org

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Bernd Pulch is the founder of the Epstein Index Project, a forensic data initiative tracking entities mentioned in the Epstein documents.

Last Updated: February 27, 2026
Total Entities in Full Database: 50,473 (39,847 Individuals • 10,626 Organizations)

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© 2026 Bernd Pulch / Epstein Index Project

Bernd Pulch — Bio

Bernd Pulch (M.A.) is a forensic expert, founder of Aristotle AI, entrepreneur, political commentator, satirist, and investigative journalist covering lawfare, media control, investment, real estate, and geopolitics. His work examines how legal systems are weaponized, how capital flows shape policy, how artificial intelligence concentrates power, and what democracy loses when courts and markets become battlefields. Active in the German and international media landscape, his analyses appear regularly on this platform. Full bio → | Support the investigation →