Larry Summers resigns from OpenAI board following Jeffrey Epstein emails

Larry Summers announced he was resigning from OpenAI’s board of directors, days after saying he was stepping back from public engagements following the publication of his emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Consistent with my announcement to step back from my public engagements, I have also decided to resign from the OpenAI board of directors,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, excited about the company’s potential and look forward to following their progress,” he said.

Summers, who served as Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, joined the artificial intelligence company’s board of directors in November 2023.

Last week, the House Oversight Committee released more than 20,000 emails from Epstein’s estate, some of which appeared to show that Summers and the disgraced financier had a close relationship. The most recent correspondence was from the day before Epstein’s arrest in 2019.

OpenAI’s board said it respected Summers’ decision to resign.

“We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board,” they said in a statement.