Larry Summers Resigns From OpenAI Board and Pauses Harvard Duties After Epstein Emails Surface

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers announced he is resigning from the OpenAI board and stepping away from several public roles after a trove of emails between him and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was made public.

"In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI," Summers said in a statement. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company and look forward to following their progress."

Summers has also gone on leave from his teaching duties at Harvard University while the school reviews the newly released documents. His spokesperson, Steven Goldberg, said Summers "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. His co-teachers will complete the remaining three class sessions this semester, and he is not scheduled to teach next semester." A Harvard spokesperson confirmed Summers informed the university of his decision.

The released messages — included in documents from Epstein's estate made public by a congressional committee — show Summers and Epstein exchanged messages regularly in the late 2010s. Many of the emails date from after Epstein's 2007 Florida conviction on prostitution-related charges but before his 2019 federal sex-trafficking arrest. Some exchanges contain casual, personal banter; in one thread Epstein appears to offer Summers advice about a woman Summers knew in London.

There is currently no evidence that Summers engaged in illegal conduct.

Other roles relinquished

Along with leaving OpenAI and pausing his Harvard responsibilities, Summers said he is stepping down from a number of media and policy affiliations, including roles with Bloomberg News, The New York Times, the Brookings Institution's Hamilton Project, the Center for American Progress, the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Yale's Budget Lab. Summers joined the OpenAI board in 2023.

The university said it is "conducting a review of information concerning individuals at Harvard included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to evaluate what actions may be warranted."

Separately, lawmakers voted to require the Justice Department to release related files. Congressional action sent the measure to the president's desk, and public officials have urged further review of Epstein's relationships with a range of high-profile figures.

Background

Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in 2007 to two prostitution-related counts in Florida as part of a contentious plea agreement that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution at that time. He was later federally charged with sex trafficking and died by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.

This developing story has prompted institutional reviews and raised public questions about the nature and timing of communications between Epstein and prominent figures. Summers' statement emphasizes his intent to step away from public commitments while those reviews proceed.