Former Treasury Secretary Steps Down
Larry Summers, the former Treasury Secretary, has announced his resignation from the board of directors of the OpenAI Foundation. This decision follows the release of emails that revealed his communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Summers’ resignation came just two days after he declared his intention to withdraw from public commitments. He has also ended his fellowship with the Center for American Progress and stepped down from Yale’s Budget Lab advisory group.
In a statement, Summers expressed gratitude for his time at OpenAI, stating, “In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress.”
Summers maintained a relationship with Epstein even after Epstein’s guilty plea in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. The recent release of over 20,000 documents by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee indicated that Summers sought romantic advice from Epstein.
Currently a professor and director at Harvard’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, it remains uncertain whether he will retain this position. Last week, he described his association with Epstein as a “major error in judgment,” stating, “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
