The announcement of Larry Summers’ retirement came Wednesday after newly released documents revealed past communications between the former Harvard leader and financier Jeffrey Epstein. Summers said he will step down from his academic and faculty roles at Harvard at the end of the current academic year. A university spokesperson confirmed the decision, noting that Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein accepted Summers’ resignation from his leadership position. Summers had served as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.
University officials said the move follows Harvard’s review of documents related to Epstein that were recently released by the federal government. The disclosures renewed scrutiny over connections between Epstein and several high-profile figures. Summers described the decision as a difficult one and thanked students and colleagues for their years of collaboration. He noted that his relationship with Harvard spans half a century, beginning when he arrived as a graduate student. After retiring, Summers plans to devote more time to research and global economic analysis.
Over his long career, Summers served as U.S. Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and later worked as an economic adviser to President Barack Obama. He had already stepped away from teaching last November after questions surfaced about his past communications with Epstein. Separately, World Economic Forum President and CEO Borge Brende also resigned Thursday following an investigation into alleged ties to Epstein.
