Newly released emails published by House Oversight Republicans and reviewed by The Harvard Crimson show Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein referring to a younger Chinese woman by the nickname "peril," a term critics say evokes the racist "yellow peril" trope. The documents, dated November 2018 to July 2019, include instances where Summers forwarded the mentee’s academic emails to Epstein and sought his advice. Observers and some Harvard faculty called the exchanges disturbing; survivors and lawmakers are demanding release of all Epstein-related records. Summers said his ties to Epstein were "a major error of judgement."
Emails Show Larry Summers Referred to a Chinese Mentee as “Peril” in Messages with Jeffrey Epstein; Critics Call It Racially Charged
Newly released emails published by House Oversight Republicans and reviewed by The Harvard Crimson show Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein referring to a younger Chinese woman by the nickname "peril," a term critics say evokes the racist "yellow peril" trope. The documents, dated November 2018 to July 2019, include instances where Summers forwarded the mentee’s academic emails to Epstein and sought his advice. Observers and some Harvard faculty called the exchanges disturbing; survivors and lawmakers are demanding release of all Epstein-related records. Summers said his ties to Epstein were "a major error of judgement."
03:44 AM, 11/18/2025Society
Overview: Newly released documents and emails published by the House Oversight Committee and reported by The Harvard Crimson show Harvard economist and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers exchanging messages with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in which they referred to a younger Chinese woman by the nickname "peril." Critics say the choice of term evokes the racist "yellow peril" trope; Summers has defended his past association with Epstein as a mistake.
What the records show
The tranche of more than 20,000 pages of material released by House Oversight Republicans includes correspondence between November 2018 and July 5, 2019 — the day before Epstein was arrested. In multiple messages, Summers forwarded the woman’s academic emails to Epstein and solicited Epstein’s views about pursuing a relationship. The two men referred to the woman by the nickname "peril."
Why critics are alarmed
Observers and civil-rights advocates contend that the informal nickname recalls the racist and dehumanizing "yellow peril" rhetoric historically used to incite fear and discrimination against Asian people. Civil-rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo described the exchanges as "absolutely disgusting" and called for Summers to resign. Harvard faculty members quoted by The Crimson also characterized the relationship on display in the documents as disturbing.
Context and notable details
Some of the correspondence appears to involve Chinese economist Keyu Jin, a Harvard-trained macroeconomist whose work-related emails to Summers were included in the material passed to Epstein. The records do not contain an explicit description of a romantic relationship from Jin, and it is unclear whether she knew her messages were being shared with Epstein.
Public records and prior reporting show Summers flew on Epstein’s private jet several times, including a 2005 trip to Epstein’s Caribbean island, and that he sought donations from Epstein for a nonprofit project run by his wife, Harvard professor Elisa New. Summers told reporters his association with Epstein was "a major error of judgement."
Broader fallout
The release of the documents has reignited calls from survivors and lawmakers for all remaining government files related to Epstein to be made public. Survivors launched a video campaign pushing for full transparency, and a bipartisan group in the House is pursuing legislation to force the Justice Department to release additional records. The Daily Beast has contacted Summers, Keyu Jin, and Harvard for comment.
Summers statement: "My association with Jeffrey Epstein was a major error of judgement."
Note: Reporting so far is based on the documents released and the Crimson’s review. The nickname and the critics' interpretation are reported as such; the released records do not include an explicit racial slur in quotation marks beyond the nickname "peril," and questions remain about the full context and whether the woman knew her emails were being shared.