https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/19/larry-summers-epstein-openai.html Skip Navigation CNBC Markets * Pre-Markets * U.S. Markets * Currencies * Cryptocurrency * Futures & Commodities * Bonds * Funds & ETFs Business * Economy * Finance * Health & Science * Media * Real Estate * Energy * Climate * Transportation * Industrials * Retail * Wealth * Sports * Life * Small Business Investing * Personal Finance * Fintech * Financial Advisors * Options Action * ETF Street * Buffett Archive * Earnings * Trader Talk Tech * Cybersecurity * AI * Enterprise * Internet * Media * Mobile * Social Media * CNBC Disruptor 50 * Tech Guide Politics * White House * Policy * Defense * Congress * Expanding Opportunity Video * Latest Video * Full Episodes * Livestream * Live Audio * Live TV Schedule * CNBC Podcasts * CEO Interviews * CNBC Documentaries * Digital Originals Watchlist Investing Club * Trust Portfolio * Analysis * Trade Alerts * Meeting Videos * Homestretch * Jim's Columns * Education * Subscribe Join IC PRO * Pro News * Josh Brown * Mike Santoli * Calls of the Day * My Portfolio * Livestream * Full Episodes * Stock Screener * Market Forecast * Options Investing * Chart Investing * Subscribe Join Pro Livestream Menu * Make It * select * USA * INTL * Livestream Search quotes, news & videos * Livestream Watchlist SIGN IN Create free account Markets Business Investing Tech Politics Video Watchlist Investing Club Join IC PRO Join Pro Livestream Menu Tech Larry Summers resigns from OpenAI board after release of emails with Epstein Published Wed, Nov 19 20257:10 AM ESTUpdated Wed, Nov 19 20259:19 AM EST thumbnail Ashley Capoot@/in/ashley-capoot/ WATCH LIVE Key Points * Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said Wednesday that he will resign from the board of OpenAI. * Details about Summers' communications with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public last week. * Summers had previously announced that he would be stepping back from all public commitments, but it was not clear at the time if that included his role at OpenAI. Larry Summers, president emeritus and professor at Harvard University, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Stefan Wermuth | Bloomberg | Getty Images Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said Wednesday that he will resign from the board of OpenAI after the release of emails between him and the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Summers had announced Monday that he would be stepping back from all public commitments, but it was not immediately clear whether that included his position at the artificial intelligence startup. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress," Summers said in a statement to CNBC. OpenAI's board told CNBC it respects Summers' decision to resign. "We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board," the OpenAI board of directors said in a statement. Details of Summers' correspondence with Epstein were made public last week after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released more than 20,000 documents it obtained pursuant to a subpoena from Epstein's estate. Summers has faced intense scrutiny following the release of those files. Summers joined OpenAI's board in 2023 during a turbulent period for the startup. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was briefly ousted from the company, though he returned to the chief executive role days later. In the wake of "The Blip," as some OpenAI employees call it, Summers was appointed to the board alongside Bret Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce, and Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, who was the only member of OpenAI's previous board who still held a seat. Axios was first to report about Summers' resignation from the board. Read more CNBC tech news * Anthropic valued in range of $350 billion following investment deal with Microsoft, Nvidia * Zoox begins offering robotaxi rides in San Francisco, facing off with Waymo * Google announces Gemini 3 as battle with OpenAI intensifies * Cloudflare blames 'unusual' spike in traffic before massive outage President Donald Trump on Friday asked the Department of Justice to investigate the relationship between Epstein and Summers, as well as Epstein's ties to former President Bill Clinton, JPMorgan Chase and billionaire tech investor Reid Hoffman. Trump has been facing renewed pressure over his own past friendship with Epstein. Summers is a former president of Harvard University, and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told CNN on Monday that the university should sever ties with him. He announced his intention to step back from his public commitments later that day, but said he will continue to fulfill his teaching obligations at Harvard. "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein," Summers said in a statement to CNBC on Monday. Congress on Tuesday agreed to pass a bipartisan bill ordering the Department of Justice to release all of its files on Epstein, clearing the path for Trump to sign it into law. WATCH: House overwhelmingly votes to release more Epstein investigation files, sends bill to Senate House overwhelmingly votes to release more Epstein investigation files, sends bill to Senate watch now VIDEO1:5101:51 House votes to release more Epstein files, sends bill to Senate Power Lunch CNBC logo * * * * * * * * Subscribe to CNBC PRO * Subscribe to Investing Club * Licensing & Reprints * CNBC Councils * Select Personal Finance * CNBC on Peacock * Join the CNBC Panel * Supply Chain Values * Closed Captioning * Digital Products * News Releases * Internships * Corrections * About CNBC * Ad Choices * Site Map * Podcasts * Careers * Help * Contact * News Tips Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you. 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