Larry Summers has announced that he will retire from his remaining academic roles at Harvard University following renewed public attention surrounding his communications with convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Harvard officials confirmed that Summers will step down at the end of the academic year while remaining on leave until his retirement becomes effective. In a written statement, Summers said the decision was personal and difficult, emphasizing his long association with the university and his appreciation for students and colleagues over several decades.
Summers, who had been affiliated with Harvard for approximately 50 years, held the prestigious position of Charles W. Eliot University Professor since leaving the university presidency in 2006. He also previously served as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
The controversy surrounding Summers intensified after messages between him and Epstein were released as part of document disclosures from Epstein’s estate. The communications showed ongoing contact even after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to prostitution-related charges in Florida, although Summers has never been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.
