MIT and Harvard accepted $7.5 million from Epstein after conviction

MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito accepted $525,000 directly from Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 sex offender conviction and helped arrange additional $7.5 million from Epstein network including Bill Gates and Leon Black donations.

Internal MIT emails from 2014-2015 revealed staff referring to Epstein as Voldemort while deliberately listing his donations as anonymous gifts to conceal controversial source.

Harvard University accepted $6.5 million from Epstein before his 2008 conviction to endow MNMartin Nowak mathematical biology program, providing Epstein with academic credibility and Nobel laureate access.

Epstein used university connections to host scientific conferences at his private island, flying researchers and academics to normalize his presence around young women under pretense of legitimate research.

Ronan Farrow investigation in September 2019 exposed MIT concealment practices, prompting Ito resignation and university apology for violating institutional policies on donor disclosure.

MIT commissioned internal report confirming Ito violated university policies by accepting and concealing Epstein donations, while several other academics faced scrutiny for Epstein associations.

Both institutions later returned or donated equivalent amounts to victim organizations, acknowledging complicity in reputation laundering for convicted sex offender through academic legitimacy.