Larry Summers, former US Treasury Secretary and Harvard professor, has announced his resignation from the board of OpenAI following the release of his correspondence with the late Jeffrey Epstein. Summers had previously stated he was stepping back from public roles, expressing that he felt “deeply ashamed” for continuing to communicate with Epstein.
OpenAI confirmed his departure on Wednesday, thanking Summers for his contributions and the perspective he brought to the board. Summers joined OpenAI in November 2023 during a turbulent period for the AI company, shortly after the reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman. He had conducted an internal review of Altman’s brief firing and was considered a high-profile addition due to his experience in Washington and on Wall Street.
The emails, released by the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from Epstein’s estate, included discussions about public attitudes toward sexual harassment allegations. Summers acknowledged taking “full responsibility” for his actions.
Summers has faced public scrutiny before, notably resigning from the Harvard University presidency in 2006 after comments about gender differences in science and math careers sparked controversy. His resignation from OpenAI marks another step away from public roles amid heightened attention to his professional and personal associations.
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