Larry Summers steps down from OpenAI board after Epstein email leak
Larry Summers, ex-US Treasury Secretary and former Harvard president, has quit the OpenAI board after emails surfaced showing he kept in touch with Jeffrey Epstein even after Epstein's 2008 conviction.
OpenAI confirmed his departure and thanked him for his time on the board.
What Summers said about leaving
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Summers said, "In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI."
He added that he's grateful for the experience and excited to see what the company does next—but didn't mention the Epstein emails at all.
Summers joined OpenAI's board last November, shortly after Sam Altman briefly left as CEO.
A look at Summers's past controversies
Summers has held big roles in economics and education.
Back in 2005, he suggested that gender gaps in science and engineering might be due to innate differences—a remark that led to his resignation as Harvard president.