Harvard economist Larry Summers announced he will retire at the end of the academic year as universities scramble to address newly revealed ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Summers, who had been on leave since November, said he will step away from teaching while the campus reviews his relationship with Epstein. The development follows intense public scrutiny after the Justice Department released a tranche of Epstein-related documents that mentioned Summers repeatedly. The resignation track widened when Columbia University’s Nobel laureate Richard Axel resigned as co‑director of the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute amid similar revelations about social ties to Epstein. Both departures reflect a rapid institutional reckoning as research centers and academic leaders face reputational and governance risks. Universities are assessing conflicts of interest and gift‑acceptance practices tied to controversial benefactors. Expect board reviews, inquiries by institutional compliance offices, and potential policy changes on external funding and advisory relationships as campuses try to contain legal and donor‑relation exposures.