The retirement of Larry Summers was announced Wednesday after newly released documents related to Jeffrey Epstein brought renewed scrutiny to past communications. Summers said he will step down from his academic and faculty roles at Harvard University at the end of the current academic year. A university spokesperson confirmed the decision, noting that Jeremy Weinstein accepted Summers’ resignation from a leadership position. Summers had been serving as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.
According to university officials, the resignation follows Harvard’s review of documents recently released by the federal government related to Epstein. The materials included emails and other communications that prompted renewed public attention. Summers described the choice to retire as a difficult one and thanked colleagues and students for their support over decades at the university. He noted that his connection to Harvard dates back roughly 50 years, beginning when he arrived as a graduate student.
After leaving his academic roles, Summers said he intends to focus more on research and global economic analysis. Throughout his career, Summers held several prominent positions, including serving as U.S. Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton and later as an economic adviser to Barack Obama. Separately, Børge Brende also stepped down from his role at the World Economic Forum following an investigation into alleged ties to Epstein. Brende said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities.
