Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers says he is withdrawing from public life after newly released emails exposed years of private correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealing inappropriate discussions, sexist remarks, and a level of closeness Summers had long downplayed.
The emails, published by the US House Oversight Committee, show Summers repeatedly sought Epstein’s advice on personal matters, including how to romantically pursue a younger woman he described as his mentee. In another exchange, Summers suggested that women have lower IQs than men, a remark echoing the controversial comments about women in science that triggered his resignation as Harvard president in 2006.
Summers said in a statement that he was “deeply ashamed” and fully responsible for maintaining communication with Epstein long after the financier’s sex-trafficking crimes were public knowledge. He added that he would continue teaching at Harvard University but would suspend other public roles to repair personal relationships.
Summers’ long association with Epstein had been documented before. Flight logs released in 2015 placed him on Epstein’s private jet, and scheduling emails published in 2023 showed Epstein attempting to arrange meetings with him years after his conviction. The new email cache, however, paints a more detailed picture of a sustained, personal friendship.
Political backlash has escalated sharply. US Senator Elizabeth Warren called on Harvard to sever all ties with Summers, arguing that his relationship with Epstein showed “monumentally bad judgment.” She said someone who maintained close contact with Epstein “cannot be trusted to advise policymakers or teach a generation of students.”
Harvard has not yet commented on the revelations. However, the fallout has already begun. The Center for American Progress confirmed that Summers’ fellowship with the think tank has ended. His standing with Bloomberg and OpenAI, where he held advisory positions, remains unclear as both institutions have yet to respond to inquiries.
Summers, who served under President Bill Clinton and later advised President Barack Obama, is one of the highest-profile public figures to face renewed scrutiny over ties to Epstein’s influential network. Epstein, who moved among global political, financial, and academic elites, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking minors.
Summers is married to Elisa New, a scholar and host of the PBS program Poetry in America, and is a father of six.
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