In late November, it became known that Professor Larry Summers had taken a leave of absence from teaching while Harvard University investigated his ties to the deceased sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Recent revelations suggest that Summers had a closer relationship with Epstein than previously reported, with communications extending up to the day before Epstein's arrest in 2019. Now, The New York Times reports that Summers will not be returning to his teaching position, marking the current semester as his last at Harvard.

Larry Summers is an American professor of economics and served as the Secretary of the Treasury under Bill Clinton from 1999 to 2001. He has held prestigious roles including chief economist at the World Bank and president of Harvard University from 2005 to 2006. Notably, he is also a member of the board of OpenAI but stepped down from this position in November 2025 following the Epstein disclosures. The implications of his resignation point to the broader impact that Epstein's revelations continue to have on the individuals and institutions connected to him, raising questions about accountability in academia and beyond.

This incident adds to a growing list of revelations surrounding individuals connected to Epstein, highlighting the repercussions that these associations can have on professional careers and public reputations. The ongoing scrutiny of such ties not only emphasizes the need for transparency among public figures but also signals a cultural shift towards acknowledging the moral and ethical responsibilities of individuals in positions of power. As further details emerge, it remains to be seen how institutions like Harvard will navigate the legacy of these relationships in their future policies and practices.