Lawrence Henry 'Larry' Summers is a preeminent American economist and former high-ranking government official who has shaped global economic policy for over three decades. Born into a distinguished academic family in New Haven, Connecticut, he is the son of economists Robert and Anita Summers and the nephew of Nobel laureates Paul Samuelson and Kenneth Arrow. A prodigy in the field, Summers became one of the youngest tenured professors in Harvard University's history at age 28. His career is marked by influential contributions to New Keynesian economics and key government roles, including serving as the 71st U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton, where he navigated major international financial crises in Mexico, Asia, and Russia. He later served as the 27th President of Harvard University from 2001 to 2006 and as Director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama during the 2008 financial crisis aftermath. Despite his intellectual achievements, Summers' career has been shadowed by controversies, including his 2006 resignation as Harvard President following remarks on gender differences in science, his role in financial deregulation such as the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, and revelations about his long-standing relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which led to his retreat from several public commitments in late 2025.