Larry Summers, former president of Harvard University, will resign from teaching at the end of the academic year, a spokesperson confirmed to the Guardian. The resignation comes 'in connection with the ongoing review by the University of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that were recently released by the government', said Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton.
Summers also stepped down from his role as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, a position he held since 2011. He will remain on leave until the end of the academic year. The news was first reported by the Harvard Crimson.
In a statement, Summers described the decision as 'difficult', adding: 'I will always be grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues I have been privileged to teach and work with since coming to Harvard as a graduate student 50 years ago.' He said he looks forward to engaging in research and commentary on global economic issues.
Emails released by the US House oversight committee in 2025 reignited questions about Summers's relationship with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The emails indicated a friendship lasting into 2019, with Epstein referring to himself as Summers's 'wingman' and offering romantic advice.
Summers, a renowned economist and former US treasury secretary, served as Harvard's president from 2001 to 2006. Epstein donated more than $9m to Harvard between 1998 and 2008, overlapping with Summers's tenure, and was appointed a visiting fellow despite lacking qualifications.
