A shadow has fallen over the distinguished career of Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and ex-president of Harvard University. Newly released emails have revealed a sustained, friendly correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, prompting a swift and dramatic retreat from public life.
Initially, Summers maintained he would continue teaching his economics classes at Harvard, despite the growing controversy. He even appeared before a stunned undergraduate class, expressing regret but emphasizing his commitment to fulfilling his teaching obligations. The scene, captured on video, spoke volumes about the discomfort and scrutiny surrounding his continued presence.
However, the pressure proved insurmountable. By Wednesday evening, Summers had not only stepped down from his teaching duties but also relinquished his directorship of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has now taken a leave of absence, leaving his future at the university uncertain.
The emails paint a troubling picture. They reveal Summers seeking advice from Epstein, not on economic policy, but on navigating a romantic pursuit. Epstein, ever the opportunist, playfully offered himself as a “wing man,” while Summers pondered the appropriate way to address the situation given his marital status.
The correspondence wasn’t limited to Summers. His wife, Elisa New, a Harvard English professor emerita, also exchanged multiple emails with Epstein, expressing gratitude for his financial support of her poetry project. She described the gift as “life-changing,” revealing a deeper level of entanglement.
This isn’t the first time Harvard’s relationship with Epstein has come under fire. A 2020 review uncovered that Epstein visited campus over 40 times after his conviction, enjoying access to an office and a research center he helped fund. The professor who provided the office faced disciplinary action.
Summers’ fall from grace has been swift and comprehensive. Beyond Harvard, he has severed ties with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and organizations like the Center for American Progress and the Center for Global Development have ended their affiliations with him. Even his roles as a paid Bloomberg TV contributor and a New York Times opinion writer have been terminated.
The revelations surrounding Summers are a stark reminder of the far-reaching influence of Jeffrey Epstein and the complex web of connections he cultivated among the powerful elite. Epstein’s death in 2019, officially ruled a suicide, has done little to quell the outrage and lingering questions surrounding his activities and associates.
Summers himself has acknowledged “great regrets” and labeled his association with Epstein a “major error in judgement.” But for many, the damage is done, and the questions surrounding his judgment and the extent of his relationship with a convicted sex offender will likely linger for years to come.
The situation underscores a broader reckoning with the complicity of institutions and individuals who enabled Epstein’s crimes, forcing a painful reevaluation of power, privilege, and accountability.
