Background

Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary, former president of Harvard University, and current professor, served on the board of artificial‑intelligence firm OpenAI. His involvement with the organization placed him at the forefront of emerging technology governance.

Epstein Email Leak

Congress recently released an extensive cache of emails exchanged between Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex‑trafficking offender, and Summers. The correspondence, dated from November 2018 through July 2019, revealed private discussions in which Summers asked Epstein for advice about pursuing a relationship with a woman he referred to as a mentee. In one March 2019 email, Summers wrote, "She must be very confused or maybe wants to cut me off but wants professional connection a lot and so holds to it." Epstein described himself early in the exchanges as Summers’s “wing man” and, in a June 2019 text, told him, "She is doomed to be with you." Later messages showed Summers describing his “best shot” at getting the mentee to sleep with him as making her find him “invaluable and interesting,” noting that “she can’t have it without romance/sex.” Epstein urged him to play the “long game” and keep the woman in a “forced holding pattern.”

Summers' Resignation

Days after the release of the emails and following votes by both the House and the Senate to make the Epstein files public, Summers announced his resignation from OpenAI’s board. In a statement, he said he would step back from public commitments while the matter was investigated.

Harvard Investigation

The Harvard Crimson reported that Harvard University will open its own probe into Summers’s connections with Epstein. The university indicated that it will examine the nature of his interactions and any potential impact on the institution.

Implications

Summers’s departure from OpenAI underscores the growing scrutiny of leaders’ personal conduct and its impact on corporate governance, especially in high‑profile technology firms. The revelations have sparked broader discussions about accountability, the influence of powerful individuals, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI development.

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