John Browne resignes from the board of Goldman Sachs

NEW YORK: John Browne has resigned from the board of Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs weeks after stepping down as the chief executive of British energy group BP amid revelations on his personal life.

Goldman Sachs said Thursday that Browne had quit the banking powerhouse after serving with "distinction" as one of its top directors since 1999.

"On behalf of the people of Goldman Sachs, I would like to thank Lord Browne for his service to the firm and our shareholders," Goldman's chief executive, Lloyd Blankfein, said.

Goldman announced Browne's departure after he resigned as BP's CEO on May 1 after a newspaper published stories of his relationship with another man.

Browne stepped down suddenly from BP's helm after conceding that he had lied to a British judge in witness statements about how he met Canadian Jeff Chevalier, his former partner of four years.

The well-known British executive had been seeking to obtain a court ruling against the Mail on Sunday newspaper to stop it publishing his former lover's allegations about improper business conduct as well as revelations about their relationship.

Browne had been due to retire from BP in July, but advanced his retirement after it emerged he had not been truthful in his court submissions