A Harvard professor, broadcaster and Financial Times columnist has apologised for comments he made earlier this week, when he suggested that an economist’s theories were wrong, because the economist had been in same-sex relationships, and therefore too selfish to care for future generations.

Niall Ferguson, tweeted to apologise, and published a full apology on his website, after making comments on Thursday that famed economist John Maynard Keynes, and his economic theories, were inherently selfish because he was bi, married to a ballerina, and had no children.

Speaking at the Tenth Annual Altegris Conference in Carlsbad, Ferguson said that Keynes was an “effete” member of society and that he took a selfish world view, and did not care about future generations, because of his sexuality and lack of children.

The audience at the event reportedly then went quiet, and some members said afterwards that they were offended by what the Harvard professor had said, reports the Business Insider.

Ferguson has now admitted that his remarks were “stupid and tactless”, on Twitter.

I apologize deeply and unreservedly for stupid and tactless remarks about Keynes that I made on Thursday bit.ly/13cZ6B7 — Niall Ferguson (@nfergus) May 4, 2013

He also posted an apology on his website, going further to say that the comments were “insensitive”, noting that his comments were even more so, because he had overlooked the fact that Keynes’ wife had miscarried.