Larry Summers, president emeritus and professor at Harvard University, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.
Stefan Wermuth | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said Wednesday that he will resign from the board at OpenAI after the release of emails between him and the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Summers had announced Monday that he would be stepping back from all public commitments, but it was not immediately clear whether that included his position at the artificial intelligence startup.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress,” Summers said in a statement to CNBC.
OpenAI’s board told CNBC it respects Summers’ decision to resign.
“We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board,” the OpenAI Board of Directors said in a statement.
Details of Summers’ correspondence with Epstein were made public after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released more than 20,000 documents it obtained pursuant to a subpoena from Epstein’s estate.
Summers has come under intense scrutiny after the documents were released.
He is a former president of Harvard University, and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told CNN on Monday that the university should sever ties with him. He announced his intention to step back from his public commitments later that day, but said he will continue to fulfill his teaching obligations at Harvard.
“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,” Summers said in a statement to CNBC on Monday.
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