Two prominent leaders in academia and global policy have stepped down from key positions following renewed scrutiny over past communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Former Lawrence H. Summers announced Wednesday that he will retire from his academic and faculty roles at Harvard University at the end of the current academic year. His decision came after the release of documents detailing past communications with Epstein.
A Harvard spokesperson confirmed that Jeremy Weinstein accepted Summers’ resignation as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. The university said the step was taken as part of an ongoing review of materials recently made public by the government regarding Epstein. Summers will remain on leave until his retirement later this year. In a statement shared through a spokesperson, he called the decision difficult after decades of work at Harvard. He expressed gratitude to the students and colleagues he worked with during more than 50 years at the university, beginning as a graduate student.
Summers previously served as U.S. Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton and later advised Barack Obama on economic policy. Separately, Børge Brende stepped down as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum after the group launched an internal review of his contacts with Epstein. Brende said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal background and described leading the forum since 2017 as “profoundly rewarding,” adding that he believed it was the right time to step aside.
