Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers announced Wednesday that he will retire from his academic and faculty roles at Harvard University at the end of the current academic year. The decision follows the release of new documents related to communications with convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein, which have recently drawn renewed public attention.
Harvard confirmed the retirement through a university spokesperson. Jeremy Weinstein, dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, accepted Summers’ resignation from his leadership position as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. University officials stated that the decision is connected to an internal review of documents linked to Epstein. The records, recently released by government authorities, included a series of emails that referenced past communications involving Summers. Their publication prompted renewed scrutiny and led Harvard to examine related institutional records.
In a statement addressing his retirement, Summers said the decision was not easy. He expressed appreciation for the many students, colleagues, and researchers he worked with during his decades-long association with Harvard. Summers noted that he first arrived at the university as a graduate student nearly fifty years ago. After leaving his Harvard roles, Summers said he plans to devote more time to research, writing, and global economic analysis. His career also includes serving as Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton and later advising Barack Obama on economic policy.
