Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University and a top economic official in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, has resigned from his academic appointments at the Ivy League institution following renewed scrutiny over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Summers stepped down Wednesday, relinquishing not only his teaching roles but also his prestigious Harvard University Professorship — the highest faculty honor at the school — according to The Harvard Crimson. The decision comes after the recent release of millions of documents from Epstein’s estate by the Justice Department, which shed light on years of correspondence between Summers and Epstein stretching from 2013 until just four months before Epstein’s arrest on federal charges in 2019.
In a statement, Summers described the decision as “difficult,” but said stepping away would allow him to devote more time to “research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues.”
The former U.S. Treasury secretary and National Economic Council director has faced mounting criticism over the extent of his communications with Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring a child for prostitution. The newly released documents revealed that Summers continued to correspond regularly with Epstein in the years following that conviction.
Among the communications were emails and text messages discussing politics, Harvard-related matters, and personal issues. In one exchange less than a month before the 2016 presidential election, Summers asked Epstein, “How plausible is idea that trump [sic] is real cocaine user?” In another October 2016 email, Epstein asked Summers whether a friend he referred to as “Rothschild” could be given a tour of Harvard.
Perhaps most striking were personal messages in which Summers sought advice from Epstein regarding a relationship with a woman described as his mentee. In a March 16, 2019 message — one of the final exchanges before Epstein’s arrest — Summers detailed a phone conversation and expressed frustration over what he perceived as mixed signals. Epstein responded shortly thereafter, offering commentary and advice.
Summers has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein’s sex-trafficking of girls. However, as public backlash intensified following the document releases, Summers announced last November that he would step back from regular public appearances.
At the time, he issued a statement expressing regret: “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
The fallout has extended beyond Harvard. Summers was dropped as a contributing opinion writer by The New York Times and resigned from the board of directors of OpenAI amid the controversy.
His resignation at Harvard came just one day after Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates apologized to staff at the Gates Foundation over his own past association with Epstein and admitted to affairs with two Russian women. Gates said the women were not victims of Epstein’s sex-trafficking scheme and stated, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit. To be clear I never spent any time with victims, the women around [Epstein].”
Both Gates and Summers have been major supporters of the Democratic Party. Gates donated $50 million to a dark money group that backed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
The developments mark another chapter in the continuing fallout from Epstein’s crimes, raising renewed questions about the judgment of prominent figures who maintained ties with him even after his 2008 conviction.
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