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Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers stepped down from OpenAI’s Board of Directors on Wednesday, the latest in a rapid retreat from his public roles following renewed scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey E. Epstein.
The move is the latest in a string of retreats for Summers, who has stepped back from positions at several organizations — including Bloomberg, the New York Times, and several think tanks — amid the release of hundreds of messages by House Republicans revealing years of his correspondence with Epstein.
“In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI,” Summers wrote in a statement.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress,” he added.
Summers has served on the artificial intelligence company’s board since November 2023, when he was invited to join in the aftermath of OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman’s brief surprise ouster from the company.
OpenAI’s board of directors thanked Summers for his contributions to the company in a Wednesday statement.
“Larry has decided to resign from the OpenAI Board of Directors, and we respect his decision. We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board,” the board wrote.
Summers’ resignation from OpenAI comes shortly after The Crimson reported a series of exchanges between Summers and disgraced financier Jeffrey E. Epstein over Summers’ pursuit of a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee.
Over seven months of texts and emails, Epstein counseled Summers on his interactions with the woman, describing himself in one message as Summers’ “wing man.” The two men joked about the possibility that Summers and the woman would have sex. At one point, Summers told Epstein that the woman was hesitant to leave the relationship because she “wants professional connection a lot.”
The messages between Summers and Epstein continued into July 2019, concluding one day before Epstein’s arrest on new sex trafficking charges. Epstein first pled guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008. A November 2018 investigation by the Miami Herald
Summers’ resignation from the Open AI board comes hours after Harvard opened a new probe into his’ ties to Epstein, pledging to review the messages in the Wednesday files — including those discussing the woman. The investigation will also cover other Harvard affiliates mentioned in the files, including English professor emerita Elisa F. New, who is married to Summers.
Summers said on Monday that he would continue teaching while stepping back from all public commitments, saying that he sought time to “rebuild and repair relationships with those closest to me” in light of the Epstein scandal.
By Tuesday, he had stepped down from his position as advisor to the Yale Budget Lab and as a fellow at the Center for American Progress think tank. The New York Times said it would not renew its contract with Summers, and he will also leave his role as a paid contributor on Bloomberg TV.
Summers, who holds Harvard’s highest faculty rank as a University Professor, has continued to teach his classes.
—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.
—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.
