Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has decided to take a leave of absence from his teaching duties at Harvard University following the emergence of emails revealing his friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Summers, who previously expressed his intention to continue teaching economics classes at Harvard despite the controversy, has now also stepped down as the director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.
According to Summers’ spokesperson Steven Goldberg, he made the decision to go on leave in the best interest of the Center while Harvard conducts a review. His ongoing courses will be completed by his co-teachers for the remainder of the semester, and he is not scheduled to teach in the upcoming semester. The university confirmed that Summers informed them of his choice, but it remains uncertain whether he will resume teaching in the future.
Although Harvard did not explicitly mention Summers in the decision to reopen an investigation, this action follows the disclosure of emails demonstrating his continued association with Epstein after the latter’s conviction in 2008. Amid mounting criticism, some students recorded Summers addressing a class on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of continuing his teaching role.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Summers in a social media post, accusing him of aligning himself with influential figures, including a convicted sex offender, and questioning his suitability for positions of influence. Earlier on the same day, Summers also resigned from the board of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, with the board expressing appreciation for his contributions and perspective.
In a separate statement, Summers expressed gratitude for his tenure on the OpenAI board and voiced optimism for the company’s future endeavors. He had joined the board in November 2023 as part of efforts to stabilize the nonprofit organization and reinstate Sam Altman as CEO. Epstein, known for his connections to affluent and influential individuals, was a notorious figure whose associations sparked various conspiracy theories and public outrage.
The development coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump signing a bill into law, compelling the Justice Department to disclose its investigations into Epstein, despite his prior resistance to such disclosures.