Trouble mounts for Larry Summers — Harvard opens new probe after release of Epstein emails

Larry Summers faces scrutiny as Harvard opens a probe into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein amid his resignation from the OpenAI board. The university is reviewing Epstein's involvement with Harvard.

Livemint
Published19 Nov 2025, 08:38 PM IST
This combo shows Jeffrey Epstein, left, and US economist Larry Summers.
This combo shows Jeffrey Epstein, left, and US economist Larry Summers. (AP)

In a fresh trouble for Larry Summers, who has also steps down from OpenAI board over Epstein ties, the Harvard University is opening a new probe connections between its former president and disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“The university 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,” a spokesperson for the school said in a statement.

The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper and Boston Globe reported the university’s latest probe earlier.

Also Read | Larry Summers quits OpenAI board as questions mount over Epstein email link

An earlier review completed in 2020 found that Epstein visited Harvard’s campus more than 40 times after his 2008 sex crimes conviction and was given his own office and unfettered access to a research center he helped establish, reported AP.

On Tuesday, Larry said that he's stepping back from public commitments and on Wednesday, he resigned from the OpenAI board.

“Larry has decided to resign from the OpenAI Board of Directors, and we respect his decision,” the board said in a statement.

“We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress,” Larry said in a statement.

Also Read | Trump to decide on Epstein files release as US Congress votes — what we know

Summers joined the OpenAI board in Nov. 2023, part of an effort to restore stability at the nonprofit and bring back its CEO Sam Altman after its previous board members fired Altman days earlier.

Epstein was a convicted sex offender infamous for his connections to wealthy and powerful people. He died by suicide in 2019.

Also Read | ‘Quiet, piggy’— Trump shuts down reporter for asking him about Epstein files

On Tuesday, nearly all House Republicans voted to compel the Justice Department to release its files on sex trafficker.

“We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on,” Trump posted on social media late Sunday.

Trump's long-time ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, who campaigned for the files’ release before their relations soured , excoriated the president for his protracted resistance to disclosing information gathered in the investigation.

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