WEF CEO resigns as Epstein shame topples global careers

The latest: Brende resigned as CEO and president of the WEF, roughly a month after the organization hosted international leaders in Davos.

• Without mentioning Epstein in his statement, Brende said "now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions."
• The organization launched an independent probe after the files revealed Brende had dined with the convicted sex offender, multiple outlets reported.
• WEF co-chairs André Hoffmann and Larry Fink said Thursday the review had concluded with "no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed."

Read on for more about those facing consequences:

U.S.

Former Harvard president Larry Summers announced Wednesday he will resign his positions at the university following backlash to his relationship with Epstein.

• He also resigned from the OpenAI board amid the fallout.

Tom Pritzker announced his retirement as executive chair of Hyatt Hotels and expressed regret about his past association with Epstein and his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

• "I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner," said the billionaire Hyatt heir.

Brad Karp — chairman of top corporate law firm Paul, Weiss — resigned after his emails with Epstein were revealed in the files.

• "Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm," he said in a statement.

Kathy Ruemmler, top counsel at Goldman Sachs and a former White House counsel to former President Obama, resigned after emails showed her close relationship with Epstein and her downplaying his sex crimes, per AP.

Casey Wasserman, a high-profile Hollywood talent agent who chairs the LA28 Olympic committee, said he would sell his agency after his Epstein ties were disclosed. He also lost high profile clients, including Chappell Roan and Abby Wambach.

• He also faces pressure to step down as Olympics chair.

Peter Attia, a longevity influencer, stepped down as chief science officer of David Protein and as a CBS News contributor, per multiple reports.

Steve Tisch, chairman and co-owner of the New York Giants, is being looked into by the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this month.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces bipartisan calls to resign after the Epstein files revealed a closer relationship than previously indicated.

Europe

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

• King Charles III formally stripped his brother of royal and nobility titles last year over his ties to Epstein. He was also evicted from the royal estate in Windsor.
• The charity started by the former prince's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, announced it would shut down after the files revealed the extent of her friendship with Epstein, the AP reported.

Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the U.S., was arrested by the Metropolitan Police "on suspicion of misconduct in public office."

• Mandelson, whom Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed from his ambassador post in September, appeared thousands of times in the files.

Morgan McSweeney, who said he advised Starmer to appoint Mandelson, resigned as the prime minister's chief of staff this month.

Thorbjørn Jagland, Norway's former prime minister, was charged with aggravated corruption following a police probe into his Epstein ties. He has denied wrongdoing.

Jack Lang, a French politician and former culture minister, resigned from the Arab World Institute in Paris due to his association with Epstein.

Middle East

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem in Dubai was replaced as chairman and CEO of logistics company DP World.

• "I loved the torture video," Epstein wrote to bin Sulayem in a 2019 email. The recipient's name was previously redacted.

Go deeper: Why Congress gets to see unredacted Epstein files and how they'll read them