Harvard to examine Larry Summers’s Epstein links as he leaves OpenAI board

Former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers resigned from the OpenAI board on Wednesday, days after Congress released documents that unveiled his close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Separately, Harvard University, where Mr Summers served as president from 2001-2006, said it is reinvestigating his connections to Epstein.

Epstein was a well-connected financier who died in jail in New York while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges that he sexually abused and trafficked minors. He was previously convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Mr Summers on Tuesday said he is stepping back from public commitments after emails between him and Epstein highlighted their close ties, which continued long after Epstein was convicted.

Mr Summers's office said that includes resigning from the board of directors of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

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

The Epstein scandal exploded back into the headlines this month after Democrats released emails from Epstein, including one that said US President Donald Trump “knew about the girls”. He has denied any wrongdoing and said he supports the release of investigative files.

Harvard, where Mr Summers is still a professor, said it 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”, spokesman Jason Newton said.

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 centre he helped establish.

Mr Summers joined the OpenAI board in November 2023, part of an effort to restore stability at the non-profit and bring back its CEO Sam Altman after its