Emails released last week show years of correspondence between former Harvard president Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein, including exchanges in which Epstein called himself Summers’ “wing man” and offered romantic advice. Summers said Monday he is “deeply ashamed” and would step back from public commitments; by Wednesday he had resigned from OpenAI’s board and taken leave from teaching as Harvard reviews the matter. Several institutions also moved to end or pause affiliations with him.
Newly released emails depict a years-long correspondence between Lawrence H. Summers and Jeffrey Epstein, continuing well after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. The cache includes 2018–2019 exchanges in which Epstein advised Summers on a romantic pursuit, at one point describing himself as Summers’ “wing man.” The Harvard Crimson and other outlets reviewed hundreds of messages spanning 2013 to 2019. According to those reviews and prior reporting, Epstein also discussed supporting Poetry in America, a project led by Summers’ wife, Elisa New; Epstein’s foundation contributed $110,000 to New’s nonprofit in 2016 and had contemplated a larger gift. (The Harvard Crimson; Boston Globe; WBUR.)
In a statement on Nov. 17, Summers said he is “deeply ashamed” and would step back from public commitments while seeking to “rebuild trust,” though he initially said he would keep teaching. Two days later, he resigned from OpenAI’s board, saying the move was in line with his decision to step back. OpenAI acknowledged his resignation. That evening, Summers went on leave from his Harvard teaching duties and from directing the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government; his co-teachers will complete the semester and he is not scheduled to teach next term, as Harvard reviews the emails. (Washington Post; Bloomberg; CBS News; The Harvard Crimson.)
Several organizations have distanced themselves from Summers in recent days. The Center for American Progress said he ended his fellowship; Yale’s Budget Lab confirmed he stepped down from its advisory group; the Hamilton Project listed him as withdrawn from its advisory council; and the Center for Global Development moved to replace him as board chair. The New York Times said it would not renew Summers’ one-year opinion contract. (Washington Post; Boston Globe; The Guardian; Forbes; The Harvard Crimson.)
Prominent figures criticized Summers’ judgment, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who urged Harvard to cut ties. Cornel West, who left Harvard in 2002 after a public clash with Summers, told Politico that Summers’ predicament carries “a certain kind of chickens coming home to roost,” calling him a “neoliberal gangster,” while also saying he believes in second chances: “I always give Brother Summers, and anybody else, a chance to just choose to be a better person.” (Politico.)
The disclosures landed amid broader scrutiny of Epstein’s network. On Nov. 19, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the Justice Department to publish related records within 30 days, with permitted redactions to protect victims, national security, and active investigations. (AP News; Daily Wire; The New York Post/AP summaries.)
