Larry Summers, former Harvard President and influential economist, has resigned from his teaching position and directorship at Harvard University following growing public backlash over his communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The university has launched an investigation into his ties with Epstein, which were revealed through newly released emails, prompting Summers to step down.
According to The Harvard Crimson, the move came as the university began examining Summers’ connections to the late disgraced financier. The investigation follows a video released by students in Summers’ economics class, which showed him on stage expressing shame over his ties with Epstein. New details about his relationship with Epstein surfaced when a House committee released a trove of emails detailing their personal correspondence. Summers appeared to seek romantic advice from Epstein, raising further concerns about his conduct.
The developments also coincide with President Donald Trump’s recent signing of legislation allowing the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein. The new documents reveal that Summers, who previously served as Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, exchanged regular emails with Epstein after the financier’s conviction. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Summers said he had decided to step away from public commitments and had also resigned from the board of OpenAI.
Summers has held his directorship at Harvard since 2011 and has been a key figure in the university’s economics department. The university confirmed the move, stating that his co-teachers will complete the remaining three class sessions of the courses he has been teaching with them this semester, and he is not scheduled to teach next semester.
Initially, Summers had announced his intention to step back from public commitments, after which he resigned from the OpenAI board. His spokesperson stated,