Nov 19, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Harvard investigates Larry Summers' ties to Epstein

Jason Lalljee

Larry Summers speaks at the World Economic Forum — Larry Summers, president emeritus and professor at Harvard University, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2025. Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Harvard launched a probe into the ties between Jeffrey Epstein and Larry Summers, the ex-Treasury secretary and former university president, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: The Epstein fallout continues to hit Summers, whose association with the convicted sex offender received widespread attention after their email correspondence was released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.

Driving the news: Harvard is reviewing Epstein's relationship with Summers, as well as the convicted sex offender's ties to others at the school, The Harvard Crimson first reported.

The school will investigate the most recent batch of Epstein emails, per The Crimson.
Neither Harvard nor Summers immediately responded to Axios' requests for comment.
Summers, who announced Monday he was "stepping back from public commitments," resigned from the OpenAI board, he and the company told Axios in separate statements Wednesday.

What they're saying: "The university is conducting a review of information concerning individuals at Harvard included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to evaluate what actions may be warranted," a spokesperson for the school said in a statement to multiple outlets.

Summers indicated on Monday that he would continue teaching, but it isn't immediately clear how the school's investigation might affect that.

Catch up quick: The documents released last week included email exchanges between Epstein and Summers from 2013 to 2019, suggesting a closer relationship than Summers had previously disclosed.

Among the emails was one in which Summers appeared to be seeking advice on a relationship with a woman he was mentoring.

Epstein called himself Summers' "wing man" in one November 2018 message.

The revelations prompted both a senior Trump administration official and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to demand Harvard to cut its ties with Summers.

"I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused," Summers said in a statement shared with outlets including Axios at that time.

"I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein," he added.

What we're watching: Several other members of Harvard's faculty appeared in the emails, including law professor Alan M. Dershowitz and English professor Elisa F. New, who is married to Summers.

Flashback: Harvard disclosed multiple connections to Epstein in a 2020 report, including Epstein's financial contributions to the school.

Add Axios on Google

Harvard investigates Larry Summers' ties to Epstein

What to read next