Why ex-Harvard president Larry Summers has resigned from OpenAI board
What's the story
Former United States Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has resigned from the board of directors at OpenAI. His resignation comes after emails were released showing his continued friendly communication with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The emails were made public by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which released over 20,000 documents obtained under a subpoena from Epstein's estate.
History
He joined OpenAI board in 2023
Summers had joined the OpenAI board in November 2023, during a tumultuous period for the company. His appointment was part of efforts to stabilize the nonprofit after CEO Sam Altman's brief ousting. The board said it respects Summers's decision to resign and appreciated his contributions. "Larry has decided to resign from the OpenAI Board of Directors, and we respect his decision," it said in a statement.
Departure statement
Summers expresses gratitude for OpenAI board opportunity
Summers, who is also a former president of Harvard University, had announced he would step back from public commitments yesterday. "In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI," he said in a separate statement issued by his spokesperson Kelly Friendly. He added that he was grateful for the opportunity to serve on the board and looked forward to OpenAI's progress.
Email controversy
Emails with Epstein spark controversy
The emails between Summers and Epstein have drawn intense scrutiny. Epstein was a convicted sex offender who died by suicide years ago. He was known for his connections to powerful people, making him a subject of outrage and conspiracy theories about wrongdoing among US elites.