Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has taken a sudden leave from his teaching duties at Harvard University following the release of emails revealing his friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesperson confirmed. Summers had been scaling back his public engagements in light of the backlash from his ties to the deceased sex offender Epstein, but had initially intended to continue teaching economics at Harvard. However, by Wednesday evening, Summers not only withdrew from teaching but also resigned as the director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.
According to Summers’ spokesperson Steven Goldberg, he opted to step back from his role as Director while Harvard conducts a review. His colleagues will complete the remaining classes for this semester, and he is not scheduled to teach next semester. A Harvard spokesperson, as confirmed by the Associated Press, acknowledged Summers’ decision but did not specify if he would return to teaching in the future. The Harvard Crimson newspaper first reported Summers’ leave of absence.
While Harvard did not mention Summers by name in its decision to reopen an investigation, it came after the disclosure of emails indicating his continued association with Epstein post the latter’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Summers, a once highly respected economics expert, faced mounting scrutiny for opting to remain in his teaching position.
On Tuesday, some students recorded Summers addressing an undergraduate class, where he emphasized the importance of persisting with teaching. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Summers on social media, accusing him of cozying up to influential people, including a convicted sex offender, and questioning his trustworthiness in positions of power.
Earlier on Wednesday, Summers resigned from the board of OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. The board expressed respect for his decision and appreciation for his contributions. This move came a day after Summers announced his retreat from public commitments.
In a separate statement regarding his departure from OpenAI, Summers expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have served and his excitement for the company’s potential progress. He had joined the OpenAI board in November 2023 as part of efforts to stabilize the nonprofit and reinstate Sam Altman as CEO after the previous board members dismissed Altman.
Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019, was a notorious convicted sex offender known for his connections to affluent and influential individuals, fueling speculation and conspiracy theories about misconduct among American elites. On Wednesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill into law compelling the Justice Department to disclose its investigations into Epstein, despite his prior reluctance to do so.
