Epstein case, Brende and Summers resign. Gates makes mea culpa

Summers had been on leave since November and will not return to the courtroom before leaving office. He also gave up his role as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre for Business and Government. The reason for the decision is to be found in the internal audit that the university is conducting on Epstein's documents.

In a personal statement, the former president spoke of a "difficult decision", expressing gratitude to the students and colleagues he met during his fifty years at Harvard, first as a PhD student and then as a lecturer. As professor emeritus, he intends to pursue research on global economic issues.

The relationship between Summers and Epstein had been known for some time, but emails made public last November by a congressional committee brought to light a closer and more personal relationship than had previously emerged, one that continued even after Epstein became a registered sex offender in 2008 after he pleaded guilty in Florida.

In the messages, the two exchanged comments on Summers' private life. In some, the economist referred to his own romantic interest in a woman other than his wife, a professor of literature at Harvard. Epstein described himself as a kind of 'wingman'. In one passage from 2019, as reported by the New York Times, Summers recounted an exchange with the woman, while in others offensive expressions and racist references appeared. In one message he wrote that he was 'very taken' and willing to sacrifice a lot to be with her.

After the release of the emails,the former US Treasury Secretary had declared that he felt deeply ashamed for continuing to communicate with Epstein, taking full responsibility for that choice. He had attempted to continue teaching, only to suspend it in the face of demands from students and politicians, including Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren. During that time he had left positions with policy groups and resigned from the board of OpenAI, of which he had been a member since 2023.

Meanwhile, Harvard initiated a comprehensive review of its ties to Epstein, including those mediated by faculty and donors. The university had banned donations from the financier after his guilty plea in 2008. Yet several academics had maintained relations with him after his release from prison the following year.

Among the cases under review - the New York Times points out - is that of Martin A. Nowak, professor of mathematics and biology, placed on administrative leave pending further investigation by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Nowak had directed the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, which had received donations from the financier in the past.

Also mentioned are Elisa New, professor emeritus of American literature and Summers' wife, and Stephen Kosslyn, professor emeritus who had accepted funding from Epstein. New had already expressed regret about accepting funding and maintaining contact.

Already in 2020, an internal report of the university contained only one explicit reference to Summers, mentioning his contribution to the creation of a programme imagined by Epstein. In a footnote, reference was made to a contribution linked to an organisation led by New, without further elaboration as the donation was not directly intended for Harvard.

The shockwave of the Epstein case did not spare Bill Gates either. Over the past few days, the Microsoft founder has responded directly and in depth to questions sent in by employees of his foundation, including those related to the publication of the Epstein files, as well as topics such as artificial intelligence and the future of global health.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which claims to have reviewed a recording of the meeting, Gates allegedly apologised to staff and also to those who were indirectly affected by the consequences of his decision to meet with the financier. He would have called it "a huge mistake" to have spent time with him, claiming that he had not engaged in any illegal acts or witnessed any illegal activities. He also stated that he had never had any contact with Epstein's victims nor with the young women who surrounded him.

Gates, who has not been charged with any crimes by the victims of the financier, appears in documents made public by the US Department of Justice next to a woman with her face obscured.

During the staff meeting, the businessman allegedly reconstructed the beginning of the relationship in 2011, several years after Epstein had pleaded guilty of soliciting a minor. He allegedly admitted that he had been aware of a movement restriction imposed on the financier for about 18 months, without having properly investigated the case. The contacts allegedly continued until 2014, including meetings abroad. Gates allegedly ruled out ever having stayed overnight on Epstein's private island.

According to reports, Epstein claimed to be able to put Gates in touch with other billionaires and help raise funds for philanthropic initiatives. The foundation has previously clarified that a limited number of employees had contact with the financier on the basis of his statements regarding the ability to mobilise significant resources. No collaboration was initiated, no funds were created, and there is no record of any payments or appointments to him.

During the confrontation with the employees, Gates also allegedly referred to extramarital affairs with two Russian women known through social and professional circles. Drafts of emails attributed to Epstein, dated July 2013, appear in the leaked documents, in which it is alleged that the entrepreneur had contracted a sexually transmitted infection and attempted to keep it secret even from his then wife, Melinda French Gates. Gates' spokesman called these allegations unfounded and meaningless.

The marriage ended in 2021 after 27 years. In an interview with an NPR podcast, the woman spoke of "painful moments" that resurfaced with the release of the files, saying she was relieved to have put that phase behind her and arguing that the questions still unanswered directly concern her ex-husband and others involved. Prior to the separation, according to US media reports, Melinda had expressed discomfort with the association with Epstein. After the divorce announcement, Gates had acknowledged an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2019.

In an interview with 9News in Australia in February, the entrepreneur stated that contacts with Epstein were limited to dinners and that he regretted every minute spent in his company, reiterating his apology. In recent days, he has also withdrawn from attending a summit on artificial intelligence in India, a decision the foundation has justified with the need to maintain focus on the event's priorities.

Meanwhile, the oversight committee may call Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. "It's possible," said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer in Chappaqua, New York state, shortly before Hillary Clinton's testimony.