Larry Summers Resigns From Harvard Amid Epstein Fallout

Another high-profile figure with ties to the Ivy League is stepping aside following renewed scrutiny connected to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Former Harvard president 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 comes after newly released government documents detailed Summers’ past communications with Epstein.

A Harvard spokesperson confirmed that Jeremy Weinstein, dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, accepted Summers’ resignation from his leadership post as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.

“In connection with the ongoing review by the University of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that were recently released by the government, Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein has accepted Professor Lawrence H. Summers’ resignation from his leadership position as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Professor Summers has announced that he will retire from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard at the end of this academic year and will remain on leave until that time,” the spokesperson added.

Summers acknowledged that the move was not easy.

“I have made the difficult decision to retire from my Harvard professorship at the end of this academic year,” Summers said.

“I will always be grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues I have been privileged to teach and work with since coming to Harvard as a graduate student 50 years ago,” he added.

“Free of formal responsibility, as President Emeritus and a retired professor, I look forward in time to engaging in research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues,” Summers said.

Summers, who previously served as Treasury secretary under former President Bill Clinton and later advised former President Barack Obama on economic matters, had already stepped away from teaching in November as scrutiny mounted over his past contact with Epstein. That scrutiny intensified after a House committee released a tranche of emails shedding light on communications between the two men.

The fallout was not limited to academia.

On Thursday, Børge Brende, president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, also announced his resignation following an internal review into his past interactions with Epstein.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8-1/2 years, has been profoundly rewarding. I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners, and constituents, and I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” Brende said in a statement.

Although Brende did not reference Epstein directly in his resignation message, his departure came just weeks after the WEF initiated a review of his ties to the late sex offender.

The probe was launched after it was revealed that Brende had dined with Epstein at least three times and exchanged text messages and emails with him — despite Epstein’s prior conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

“I was completely unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities,” said Brende after news of his relationship with Epstein was made public. “Had I known about his background, I would have declined the initial invitation to join [former Norwegian Deputy Prime Minister Terje] Rod-Larsen and any subsequent dinner invitations or other communications.”

Brende had led the World Economic Forum since October 2017, taking the role shortly after departing his position as Norway’s foreign minister.

The resignations add to a growing list of prominent figures across academia, global institutions, and political circles whose past associations with Epstein continue to resurface years after his death. As congressional investigations and document releases proceed, the broader question remains how deeply Epstein embedded himself within elite networks — and why so many powerful individuals maintained contact even after his criminal record was widely known.

For critics of establishment institutions, the developments reinforce longstanding concerns about transparency and accountability among global elites who operate far removed from public scrutiny.