Newly revealed flight logs confirm that former Harvard University professor Larry Summers spent part of his 2005 honeymoon on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's private island, adding to the growing scandal surrounding Summers' connections to the convicted sex trafficker.
The Honeymoon Visit to Epstein's Island
Public flight records examined by the Harvard Crimson show that on December 21, 2005—approximately ten days after marrying Elisa F. New—Summers and his new bride traveled from Bedford, Massachusetts, to Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas aboard Epstein's private aircraft. This U.S. Virgin Islands city typically served as the departure point for helicopter transfers to Epstein's exclusive island property.
Summers' spokesperson Steven Goldberg acknowledged the visit but characterized it as "a brief visit of less than a day" during their honeymoon travels through St. John and Jamaica. Goldberg emphasized this occurred long before Epstein faced his initial arrest for sex crimes.
The flight manifest revealed additional passengers including Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and his longtime pilot Larry Visoski. Notably, this visit occurred shortly after Florida authorities had launched their investigation into Epstein and as the financier began assembling his legal defense team, which included Summers' Harvard colleague Alan Dershowitz.
Deepening Connections and Damaging Revelations
The honeymoon revelation emerges from last week's extensive Epstein email release, which demonstrates Summers' relationship with the convicted sex trafficker was both longer-lasting and more substantial than previously understood. Most alarmingly, Summers maintained contact with Epstein for years following Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for soliciting sex from underage girls in Florida.
Perhaps the most damaging disclosure shows Summers sent his final communication to Epstein merely one day before federal authorities arrested Epstein on sex trafficking charges involving minors in July 2019. Among the most uncomfortable exchanges, the Harvard professor solicited dating advice from Epstein regarding a woman he described as his "mentee."
Career Fallout and Institutional Response
The email disclosures have triggered significant professional consequences for Summers. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren demanded his resignation from Harvard, stating he "cannot be trusted" with students. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump—who also appears in the Epstein documents—called for Justice Department and FBI investigations into Epstein's connections with powerful Democrats including Summers and former President Bill Clinton.
Facing mounting pressure, Summers announced Monday he would step back from all public commitments to "rebuild trust and repair relationships" with close associates. By Wednesday, he confirmed his departure from OpenAI's board of directors.
Initially, Summers intended to continue teaching responsibilities, informing students Wednesday that fulfilling his teaching obligations remained "very important" to him. However, he reversed this decision later that evening, announcing he would no longer teach classes and that co-instructors would complete the academic term.
