Summers' exit from OpenAI is part of the widening fallout of those who were in the orbit of Jeffrey Epstein
SAN FRANCISCO -- Larry Summers, the former Treasury secretary, will step down from the board of artificial intelligence startup OpenAI, he and the company said Wednesday, after Congress released emails last week that showed Summers had regularly corresponded with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
"In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI," Summers, 70, said in a statement."I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company and look forward to following their progress." In a statement, OpenAI's board of directors confirmed Summers' resignation."We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the board," it said. Summers' exit from OpenAI is part of the widening fallout of those who were in the orbit of Epstein, who authorities said killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. President Donald Trump and filmmaker Woody Allen were among those mentioned in the more than 20,000 Epstein estate emails made public by lawmakers this month. Summers in recent days has stepped down from a number of public roles, including board positions at the Center for Global Development, where he was chair; the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Budget Lab at Yale and the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution. Harvard University, where Summers is a professor and previously served as president, this week said it would conduct a review of ties that Summers and other university officials had with Epstein and"evaluate what actions may be warranted." Summers taught one of his regular economics classes at Harvard on Tuesday and apologized for his association with Epstein to the room of students. "Some of you will have seen my statement of regret expressing my shame with respect to what I did with Mr. Epstein," Summers said, according to a video recording taken by a student and posted to social media."But I think it's very important that I fulfill my teaching obligations." The New York Times on Tuesday said it did not intend to renew Summers' contract as a contributing writer for the opinion section. Ex // Top Stories SFUSD feels growing pains of universal TK expansion Frustrated parents lament statewide credentialing challenges, district’s hiring history leaving some transitional-kindergarten classrooms without permanent teachers ‘Craveable’ cocktails keep iconic Starlite fresh The lounge atop the Beacon Grand Hotel in Union Square is often credited by those in the industry for ushering in San Francisco’s modern cocktail era, where many stalw… Classic Chinese superhero comes to life in SF Opera world premiere “I felt that our society needs a positive image and energy, so I thought it would be great if I could find a way to tell the 'Monkey King' story,” composer Huang Ruo said Summers was mentioned in emails with Epstein in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The two bantered over various topics, including commenting on the intelligence of women in general and frequently discussing Trump. In other exchanges, Summers appeared to ask Epstein's advice on how to pursue a romantic relationship with Keyu Jin, whom Summers described as a mentee. Jin, a former professor at the London School of Economics, is the daughter of Jin Liqun, a former high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party and banking executive. In the emails, Summers wrote to Epstein that he was effusive in his praise of Jin Liqun and his work. The Harvard Crimson previously reported on the email exchanges regarding Keyu Jin. Jin declined to comment. Summers joined OpenAI's board in 2023 to help stabilize the company after its directors ousted Sam Altman, a co-founder and the CEO. Along with Bret Taylor, a former Salesforce and Twitter executive, and Adam D'Angelo, another director, Summers helped to reinstate Altman and expand the board to include an additional five independent directors. OpenAI has since attracted tens of billions of dollars in private capital investment and developed closer ties with the federal government. Last month, the company adopted a for-profit structure, moving away from one that blended a nonprofit with a for-profit company. The long-sought change allows OpenAI to operate like a more traditional business, while it continues to raise the enormous sums of money it needs to develop AI. It is valued at more than $500 billion.
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