"Imagine, for a moment, that you first heard the name Larry Summers last week, when he showed up on what I've called Planet Epstein. That planet is an information ecosystem where all major global events are connected to the sex-trafficking conspiracy that supposedly rules the world. This is a metaphorical place, but not an imaginary one-you can find it on YouTube and in certain corners of TikTok and other social-media platforms."
"You have also learned that Summers, who corresponded with Epstein as late as July, 2019, was previously the president of Harvard University and used his considerable influence not only to bring in money for pet projects-including a poetry initiative spearheaded by his wife-but to help shape the direction of higher education in this country more generally. You learned that this lifelong liberal appeared to be seeking a romantic relationship with a mentee and was asking Jeffrey Epstein for advice about it."
Online conspiracy ecosystems connect major global events to allegations of sex-trafficking and concentrate suspicion on elite individuals. Larry Summers appears in those networks due to past correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, his role as Harvard president, and his influence on economic policy for multiple presidents. Reports of Summers seeking romantic involvement with a mentee and consulting Epstein amplify scrutiny. Summers's later service on the OpenAI board raises concerns about intersections between academic influence, political policy, and emerging technology governance. The convergence of personal ties and institutional power fuels public worry about opaque elite networks.
Read at The New Yorker
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