Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard president, is stepping away from OpenAI's board as scrutiny intensifies around his past connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender.

A Quiet Exit from the AI Powerhouse

Summers and OpenAI confirmed the departure on Wednesday. In his statement, Summers said the move was consistent with his broader decision to step back from public commitments. He emphasized that he remains enthusiastic about Sam Altman's company and plans to follow their progress from the sidelines.

The timing isn't coincidental. Harvard University announced Tuesday that it's launching a fresh investigation into Epstein's relationships with Summers and other university affiliates. The probe comes after recently released emails from Democrats revealed a closer relationship between the two than previously understood.

Political and Legal Pressure Mounts

The scrutiny extends beyond academia. President Donald Trump said Friday he's asked the Justice Department to examine Epstein's ties to several high-profile individuals, including Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, and Reid Hoffman. This comes even as Trump faces renewed attention over his own past association with Epstein.

Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Tuesday, which will compel the Justice Department to release additional information about its case against Epstein. The bipartisan support signals that interest in Epstein's network remains strong across the political spectrum.

For OpenAI, losing a board member with Summers' economic credentials and Washington connections represents a significant shift, though the company hasn't publicly commented on the departure.