Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has resigned from the OpenAI board of directors, days after congressional documents revealed an extensive relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The emails, released by the House Oversight Committee, show the two men corresponded regularly and dined together frequently, with Epstein repeatedly attempting to connect Summers to prominent global figures.
Communication continued until the day before Epstein's July 2019 arrest for sex trafficking of minors.
Summers, who joined OpenAI's board in late 2023 after Sam Altman's brief ouster and reinstatement, informed the company of his decision this week.
Summers issued a statement taking full responsibility for his "misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein" and announced he would step back from all public commitments to "rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me."
He told the BBC he was "grateful for the opportunity to have served" at OpenAI and remained "excited about the potential of the company."
Harvard University, where Summers remains a professor emeritus and former president, confirmed it will open a new investigation into individuals named in the Epstein emails.
The Center for American Progress also confirmed Summers is no longer affiliated with the organization.
OpenAI's board stated:
Larry has decided to resign from the OpenAI Board of Directors, and we respect his decision. We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board.
The resignation follows bipartisan congressional approval of a measure requiring the Justice Department to release its full Epstein files, legislation President Donald Trump now says he will sign after initially opposing it.
The renewed focus on Epstein's network has intensified political scrutiny of prominent figures across party lines who maintained contact with the late financier.