Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has taken a sudden leave from his teaching duties at Harvard University due to recently disclosed emails revealing his cordial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesperson confirmed. Summers, who had been gradually withdrawing from his public engagements following the revelations of his connections with the late Epstein, initially intended to continue teaching economics courses at Harvard.
However, by Wednesday evening, Summers had not only stepped down from teaching classes but also resigned from his position as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. His spokesperson, Steven Goldberg, stated, “Mr. Summers has decided it’s in the best interest of the Center for him to go on leave from his role as Director as Harvard undertakes its review.”
Harvard University has been informed of Summers’ decision, although it remains uncertain if he will resume teaching in the upcoming semester. The move to go on leave was first reported by The Harvard Crimson newspaper. While Harvard did not explicitly mention Summers in its decision to reopen an investigation, this action follows the emergence of emails demonstrating his amicable association with Epstein even after the latter’s criminal conviction in 2008.
Summers had been under increasing scrutiny for his decision to remain in the teaching position. Some students recorded his appearance before an undergraduate class on Tuesday, during which he emphasized the importance of continuing to teach. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Summers in a social media post, stating that he had aligned himself with influential figures, including a convicted sex offender, raising concerns about his trustworthiness in positions of influence.
In a separate development on the same day, Summers cut ties with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The OpenAI board released a statement expressing respect for Summers’ decision to resign and acknowledging his contributions and unique perspective. This announcement came a day after Summers had announced his step back from public commitments.
Summers remarked, “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress,” in reference to his departure from OpenAI. He had joined the OpenAI board in November 2023 as part of an initiative to stabilize the nonprofit and reinstate Sam Altman as CEO following Altman’s dismissal by previous board members.
Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who passed away in 2019, was known for his connections to affluent and influential individuals, which fueled speculation and conspiracy theories about misconduct within American elites. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill into law on Wednesday evening, compelling the Justice Department to disclose its files on investigations related to Epstein, despite his earlier reluctance to do so.