Harvard moved to reopen an inquiry into faculty ties to Jeffrey Epstein after released documents showed longtime connections between the financier and prominent university figures; former Harvard president and economics professor Lawrence Summers stepped away from teaching and resigned from OpenAI’s board amid the fallout. Summers publicly expressed regret and said he would step back from public commitments while the university reviews the correspondence. Harvard’s decision to reexamine relationships and Summers’ retreat from high‑profile roles has reverberated through academic and policy circles, prompting renewed scrutiny of institutional gift‑acceptance practices and outside influence. Summers’ departure from boards and public commentary underscores how new disclosures have immediate governance and reputational consequences for prominent academic leaders.