🔗 Share this article Larry Summers Steps Down from OpenAI Board The former official announced he would retreat from public roles after legislative body disclosed his frequent communications with Jeffrey Epstein Former US treasury secretary the Harvard professor is exiting the governing body at the ChatGPT creator, just several days after a series of emails between him and deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein became widely known. The economist remarked in a release that he was "appreciative for the opportunity to have contributed, enthusiastic about the potential of the company, and anticipate observing their progress". Summers, who previously presided over the prestigious university, declared on recently that he would be stepping back from public responsibilities due to his relationship with Epstein. Digital Correspondence The recently released emails showed that the official exchanged messages with Jeffrey Epstein until the day before the financier's 2019 arrest for accused trafficking of minors. In another announcement, the technology organization said it accepted Summers' decision to depart. "We appreciate his many contributions and the insight he offered to the Board," the company commented. Legislative Background This news arrives after the entire Congress of the US legislature voted on recently to endorse a bill that would require the US justice department to disclose its records on Epstein. The bill will subsequently move to the administration of US President Donald Trump for endorsement. Trump has indicated he intends to approve the bill, after changing his position on the subject following objections from his supporters. Message Details A group of Epstein-related correspondence disclosed by the legislative panel days ago mentioned multiple well-known personalities in the billionaire's past associates, without implying any criminal activity by those figures. The messages showed that the professor and Jeffrey Epstein regularly had dinners together, with the billionaire often seeking to connect the official to notable world leaders. Personal Response After the correspondence were made available with the public, the former official expressed he took "complete accountability for my ill-advised decision to continue corresponding with the financier". He further stated that he wanted "to restore trust and fix bonds with the individuals nearest to me". Previous Positions Summers served in senior posts under party leaders; functioning as treasury secretary under President Clinton, and as leader of the White House economic team under the former leader. He headed the university from five years and remains a faculty member there. When announcing his departure from public commitments earlier on Monday, he stated he would maintain his teaching commitments. Further Repercussions Following Summers' statement on Monday, the Washington think tank, a liberal research organization in the capital where the professor was a senior fellow, announced that he was ceased to be affiliated with the institution. The former official entered the directorate of the AI company, which makes the language model, in 2023 - following a failed attempt to remove its CEO Sam Altman.