Summers’ Honeymoon Included a Brief Visit to Epstein’s Private Island, Records Show

Newly surfaced flight records indicate that in December 2005, just ten days after their wedding, former Harvard President Lawrence H. “Larry” Summers and his wife, Elisa F. New, made a brief stop at Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island — raising fresh questions about the depth of their relationship.

A Tropical Getaway with a Shadowy Guest List

Summers and New married on December 11, 2005, at Harvard’s Elmwood residence, with a reception held at the Harvard Art Museum.Ten days later, flight manifests show they boarded Epstein’s jet in Bedford, Massachusetts, bound for St. Thomas, a common staging point for reaching Epstein’s island.

Also on that flight, according to the logs, were Ghislaine Maxwell — later convicted in Epstein’s trafficking network — and Epstein’s longtime pilot, Larry Visoski. Summers’ spokesperson later confirmed that the Summers–New couple spent less than a day on Epstein’s island as part of their honeymoon.

Context of an Ongoing Investigation

The timing of their visit is especially striking: it occurred just months after Palm Beach authorities opened a criminal investigation into Epstein — including allegations involving a 14-year-old girl. That probe eventually led to a raid on Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion later that year.

This honeymoon trip was just one of four documented flights Summers took on Epstein’s aircraft over the years, including three during his Harvard presidency. While Summers has acknowledged knowing Epstein for years, this stop adds a new layer to their closeness.

Fallout & Institutional Response

The revelations come amid a widening scandal: Congress recently released more than 20,000 pages of Epstein-era emails and correspondences, many showing intimate exchanges between Summers and Epstein, touching on politics, personal relationships, and Harvard affairs.

In response, Harvard has launched a fresh investigation into Summers and other university affiliates mentioned in the documents. On the very day the probe was announced, Summers stepped away from his teaching duties and from his role at Harvard’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.

Colleagues have expressed strong reactions. Some faculty members described the correspondence in the released emails as “disgusting and disgraceful,” criticizing the nature and durability of Summers’ relationship with Epstein.

A Relationship Under Scrutiny