Former Harvard president and ex-US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will step down from his academic roles at Harvard University following renewed scrutiny over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as per reports citing a university spokesperson.
Summers, 71, will resign from his professorship and faculty appointments at the end of the current academic year, according to a report by The Harvard Crimson. He also stepped down on Wednesday as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, a position he had held for 15 years.
Describing the move as a “difficult” decision, Summers reportedly said he remained “grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues” he had worked with during his five decades at Harvard, where he first arrived as a graduate student 50 years ago. He added that, as President Emeritus and a retired professor, he hopes to continue engaging in research, analysis and commentary on global economic issues without formal institutional responsibilities.
Summers’ resignation comes months after the release of extensive communications between him and Epstein by the United States Department of Justice. The emails reportedly showed the two men discussing topics ranging from politics and women to Harvard-related projects.
Flight records cited in the disclosures indicated that Summers had travelled on Epstein’s private jet, known as the “Lolita Express,” and had visited Epstein’s private island. Reports also suggested that he flew with his wife, Elisa F. New, and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell shortly after his 2005 wedding in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Additionally, Summers was reportedly named as one of the executors in Epstein’s draft wills, alongside former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley, according to Justice Department records. Summers’ last known correspondence with Epstein reportedly occurred in July 2019, a day before Epstein’s arrest in New York. Epstein was later found dead in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial.
Following the November release of the communications, Harvard faced mounting calls to sever ties with its former president. The university announced it would open a fresh inquiry into Summers’ conduct, during which he said he was “deeply ashamed” of his past interactions. The controversy has significantly damaged Summers’ public standing, bringing renewed attention to Harvard’s past connections with Epstein and prompting institutional review of those relationships.
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