Larry Summers, the former US Treasury Secretary, has resigned from the board of OpenAI just a week after emails between him and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public.
In a statement released to journalists, Summers expressed gratitude for his time on the board, enthusiasm for the company’s potential, and a desire to follow its progress.
Summers, who previously served as president of Harvard University, announced on Monday that he would be reducing his public engagements due to his association with Epstein.
The recently disclosed emails revealed that Summers had corresponded with Epstein up until the day before Epstein’s arrest in 2019 for alleged sex trafficking of minors.
OpenAI released a statement acknowledging Summers’ decision to resign, expressing appreciation for his contributions and the insights he brought to the board.
This news follows a decision by both chambers of Congress on Tuesday to advance a measure requiring the US Justice Department to release its files related to Epstein.
The measure will be sent to President Donald Trump for approval, who has indicated he plans to sign it after changing his stance due to pressure from his supporters.
A set of emails related to Epstein, released by the House Oversight Committee last week, mentioned several prominent individuals in Epstein’s former circle but did not suggest any legal misconduct on their part.
The emails indicated that Summers frequently dined with Epstein, who often sought to introduce him to influential global figures.
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After the emails became public, Summers accepted “full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein” and expressed a desire to “rebuild trust and repair relationships with those closest to me.”
Summers has held high-ranking positions under two Democratic presidents, serving as Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton and as director of the National Economic Council under Barack Obama. He was president of Harvard from 2001 to 2006 and remains a professor there. In his announcement on Monday, he stated he would continue his teaching duties while stepping back from public commitments.
Following Summers’ announcement, the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington where he was a senior fellow, confirmed that he was no longer associated with the organization.
Summers joined the OpenAI board, which is known for developing ChatGPT, in 2023 after a failed attempt to remove its CEO, Sam Altman.
There is increasing pressure on the Trump administration to release documents related to the investigations into Epstein.
