"After eight years on the job, I have come to the conclusion that the best thing for both WEF and me is for me to hand over the baton to someone else," Brende writes in the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv.
Brende confirms that he met Epstein three times in 2018-2019, but never in his previous role as Norway's foreign minister. Epstein was reportedly introduced to him as an investor by top Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen.
"Had I known his background, I would have declined the first invitation from Rød-Larsen and any subsequent dinner invitations or other communication," writes Brende.
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