Former Harvard University President Larry Summers announced on Wednesday his intention to retire from all academic and faculty appointments at the conclusion of the current academic year. The decision follows the public release of government documents detailing his past communications with Jeffrey Epstein.
A spokesperson for the university confirmed to Fox News that Jeremy Weinstein, Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, has accepted Summers’ resignation from his role as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, the university linked the leadership change to an internal review of the recently disclosed government files.
“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 stated.
The university further clarified that Summers will remain on official leave until his formal retirement at the end of the academic year.
Through a spokesperson, the former Treasury Secretary characterized the move as a significant transition in his career.
“I have made the difficult decision to retire from my Harvard professorship at the end of this academic year,” Summers said in a released statement.
The announcement concludes a long-standing tenure at the institution, where Summers served as its 27th president from 2001 to 2006 before returning to a faculty role at the Kennedy School.
BREAKING: Obama & Clinton Operative LARRY SUMMERS has RESIGNED from HARVARD… amid his ties to EPSTEIN 🚨
Bill Gates just confessed to FLYING ON EPSTEIN’S PLAN… and having TWO AFFAIRS with RUSSIAN WOMEN 💣
Even the Ex-NORWEIGIAN Prime Minister (who handed Obama his Nobel Peace… pic.twitter.com/kB6ihexwz9
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) February 26, 2026
Reflecting on a career at the university that spans five decades, Larry Summers expressed his appreciation for the academic community. “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 stated.
Looking ahead, Summers indicated that his retirement from formal academic duties will allow him to focus on independent scholarship and public discourse. Now holding the title of President Emeritus and retired professor, he noted that he intends to continue his involvement in “research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues.”
The transition marks the end of an era for the former university president, who first arrived at the institution as a graduate student in 1976.
THE LARRY SUMMERS FILES
Larry Summers was the economic architect of the Clinton presidency — Deputy Treasury Secretary, then Treasury Secretary, one of the most powerful men in Washington. Clinton trusted him with the global financial system.
He was the Secretary of the… pic.twitter.com/lGYeYo4Ykl
— Kevin Bass (@kevinnbass) February 26, 2026
🚨 Larry Summers just resigned from Harvard.
Former Treasury Secretary. Former Harvard President. One of the most powerful economists of the last 30 years.
Documents showed he kept meeting with Epstein after the conviction.pic.twitter.com/4NhcgZqzbc https://t.co/r0Zd87cCqd
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 25, 2026
In a series of high-profile departures within global academic and economic circles, both World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende and former Harvard President Larry Summers have announced their resignations following scrutiny over past communications with the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Borge Brende, who has served as the President and CEO of the World Economic Forum since October 2017, resigned on Thursday. His departure follows a multi-week internal investigation by the WEF into his historical ties to Epstein.
The inquiry was initiated after disclosures revealed that Brende had attended at least three dinners with Epstein and engaged in text and email correspondence, occurring after Epstein’s prior conviction related to the procurement of a minor for prostitution.
In an official statement, Brende characterized his 8.5-year tenure as “profoundly rewarding” but noted that “now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions.” While his formal statement did not explicitly name Epstein, Brende previously addressed the relationship by stating he was “completely unaware” of Epstein’s criminal history at the time. He asserted that had he known, he would have declined invitations from former Norwegian Deputy Prime Minister Terje Rød-Larsen to meet with Epstein.
Concurrent with these developments, Larry Summers—who served as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton and as an economic adviser to President Barack Obama—confirmed his retirement from Harvard University.
Summers had already withdrawn from teaching duties in November as a House committee released a significant collection of emails detailing his interactions with Epstein. His full retirement from faculty and academic appointments will take effect at the end of the current academic year, ending a five-decade association with the institution that began during his time as a graduate student.
