Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will retire from his teaching role at Harvard University at the end of the academic year, the school confirmed Wednesday, as a campus review continues into his past ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Summers, who has been on leave since November, made the decision amid renewed attention following the Justice Department’s release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Summers’ name reportedly appeared hundreds of times in the newly disclosed files, casting fresh light on a relationship that had previously drawn criticism.
“Professor Summers has announced that he will retire from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard at the end of this academic year and will remain on leave until that time,” Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said in a statement.
In his own remarks, Summers described the move as difficult after five decades at the institution. “Free of formal responsibility, as President Emeritus and a retired professor, I look forward in time to engaging in research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues,” he said, expressing gratitude toward colleagues and students.
Summers’ career at Harvard has spanned decades. He served as university president beginning in 2001 for five years and previously held high-profile roles in Washington, including Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton. His influence in academic and economic policy circles has long been significant.
However, the Epstein revelations have followed him for years. Newly released correspondence details visits between Summers and Epstein at their homes in Massachusetts and New York. Emails show the two exchanged messages about politics, economics, and personal matters. In 2018 and 2019, Summers consulted Epstein about a separate relationship with a woman he was tutoring in economics. Epstein referred to himself as Summers’ “wing man” and encouraged him to persist.
In one 2018 email, Summers acknowledged his marriage, writing, “I have a very good life w Lisa kids etc. Easy to put at risk for something that might not materialize at all or if it does might prove transient.” In another message from 2016, Summers appeared to use a slur while discussing an upcoming meeting between Epstein and a Chinese university official.
Summers has previously acknowledged regret over his association with Epstein, calling it a “major error in judgement.” Harvard has offered limited public comment beyond confirming it was reviewing individuals named in Epstein-related documents to determine whether action was warranted.
Epstein’s financial ties to Harvard were examined in a 2020 internal report, which found he donated more than $9 million to the university, primarily to a research center founded by professor Martin Nowak, who was later disciplined. The report did not address Summers’ relationship with Epstein.
In December, Summers received a lifetime ban from the American Economic Association due to his Epstein ties. His resignation now marks another significant development in the continuing fallout from the Epstein case, which has triggered consequences across academia, finance, law, and politics.
