Larry Summers has resigned from the board of OpenAI following the release of emails revealing his continued correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former US Treasury secretary stepped down from his position at the artificial intelligence company, which he joined in November 2023, after House Republicans published thousands of files detailing his relationship with Epstein.
The emails show that Summers maintained a friendly relationship with Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008. In one exchange from March 2019, Summers asked Epstein for advice on a romantic pursuit, with Epstein responding with suggestions. The correspondence continued until July 5, 2019, the day before Epstein was arrested on sex-trafficking charges.
Summers also resigned from his role as a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and stepped back from public commitments. He said in a statement: 'I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognise the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein.'
The New York Times, which had hired Summers as a contributing writer on a one-year contract starting in January 2025, announced it would not renew the contract. Charlie Stadtlander, the newspaper's executive director for media relations, said: 'We do not intend to renew this contract. We thank him for his contributions.'
Former President Donald Trump has called for an investigation into Epstein's relationship with Summers and other Democrats, but has not mentioned any Republicans. Summers served as Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and is currently a professor at Harvard University.
