Discussion

• @ronanfarrow Ronan Farrow on x

  How an elite university research center concealed its relationship with a sex offender—documents show MIT Media Lab accepted donations directed by Jeffrey Epstein far in excess of what the university has admitted to, and worked to cover it up: https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @hunterwalk @hunterwalk on x

  250 signatories at https://wesupportjoi.org/ hope 250 people are reading Ronan's article pic.twitter.com/wpNDF1LxRY

• @dabeard David Beard on x

  @RonanFarrow Related: A list of 20 boards on which Joi Ito, MIT's disgraced director of the MIT Media Lab, sits. https://joi.ito.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @nicole_cliffe Nicole Cliffe on x

  So, Ito has to resign, Cohen has to resign, and I have a LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR BILL GATES. https://twitter.com/...

• @xeni Xeni Jardin on x

  I told the @nytimes everything. So did whistleblowers I was in touch with inside @MIT and @Edge. They printed none of the most damning truths. @joi is on the board of the NYT. THANK GOD FOR @RonanFarrow https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @chengela Angela Chen on x

  For people asking what the MIT Media Lab does, might be helpful to look at their 2010 list of top 25 commercialized products: http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/ ... E-ink, Scratch, Guitar Hero, as well as a clock that runs away and “karaoke-on-demand”: pic.twitter.com/dGyeerlXtU

• @jason_pontin Jason Pontin on x

  Within MIT's internal politics this is probably the end of the Lab's privileged status within the Institute. This is *precisely* what the faculty feared when Nicholas and Wiesner convinced President Gray to let them raise their own money from non-standard donors and own their IP.

• @jason_pontin Jason Pontin on x

  I'm a skeptical about how much “directing” Epstein did. Joi and Nicholas et al have contacts with Gates and all major private and institutional donor. And Epstein always exaggerated his connections and influence. But to be clear, this Farrow piece is a catastrophe for the Lab.

• @rohded David Rohde on x

  New documents show that the M.I.T. Media Lab was aware of Epstein's status as a convicted sex offender, and that Epstein directed contributions to the lab far exceeding the amounts M.I.T. has publicly admitted. @ronanfarrow https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @bgrueskin Bill Grueskin on x

  Holy crap. “In 2014, Joi Ito wrote to Jeffrey Epstein soliciting a cash infusion, asking, “Could you re-up/top-off with another $100K?” Epstein replied, “yes.” Forwarding the response to a staff member, Ito wrote, “Make sure this gets accounted for as anonymous.” ...

• @anandwrites Anand Giridharadas on x

  I have asked @Joi and @reidhoffman and members of the Disobedience Award jury by email if @RonanFarrow bombshell changes any of their minds about anything. No word yet. https://twitter.com/...

• @joycecaroloates Joyce Carol Oates on x

  if you have Ronan Farrow on the case, no need for a pit bull. https://twitter.com/...

• @qellbell @qellbell on x

  In October, 2014, Media Lab received $2M donation from Bill Gates; Ito wrote in an internal email, “This is a $2M gift from Bill Gates directed by Jeffrey Epstein.” Cohen replied, “For gift recording purposes, we will not B mentioning Jeffrey's name as the impetus for this gift h…

• @rohded David Rohde on x

  Jeffrey Epstein was marked as “disqualified” in MIT's official donor database, but its Media Lab continued to accept donations from him and avoided disclosing the full extent of his contributions. @ronanfarrow https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @sdkstl Staci D Kramer on x

  “...although Epstein was listed as “disqualified” in M.I.T.'s official donor database, the Media Lab continued to accept gifts from him, consulted him about the use of the funds, and, by marking his contributions as anonymous, avoided disclosing their full extent...”

• @mimirocah1 Mimi Rocah on x

  More enablers. Glad they're getting called out. Don't stop. That's what will minimize pathetic men like Epstein & Nassar. When institutions are ashamed to enable them. https://twitter.com/...

• @caitlinpacific Caitlin Flanagan on x

  The donations were listed as “anonymous.” I've always assumed anonymous donors were people too humble to want recognition. What a rube. https://twitter.com/...

• @michaelluo Michael Luo on x

  Ito wrote in an internal e-mail, “This is a $2M gift from Bill Gates directed by Jeffrey Epstein.” Cohen replied, “For gift recording purposes, we will not be mentioning Jeffrey's name as the impetus for this gift.” https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @anandwrites Anand Giridharadas on x

  Dear @Joi, After this report from @RonanFarrow, detailing your complicity with Epstein, it's over. I always found you nice. You've mentored many of my friends. But unless you want to drag MIT and @nytimes down with you, find the dignity to resign. https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @rohded David Rohde on x

  The effort to conceal the lab's contact with Epstein was so widely known that some staff in the office of the lab's director, @Joi, referred to Epstein as Voldemort or “he who must not be named.” @ronanfarrow https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @kreissdaniel Daniel Kreiss on x

  This is what moral bankruptcy looks like. The scope and scale of the deliberate deceit is breathtaking. Ito should be forced off every board he sits on, especially those of grantmaking and journalism institutions. https://twitter.com/...

• @mmasnick Mike Masnick on x

  This shouldn't be a Friday night news drop. This is really, really fucked up. First the Aaron Swartz mess and now this. Sorry, MIT, it's now clear that whatever “innocent” explanations that were tried before this, that's all bullshit. https://twitter.com/...

• @mattblaze Matt Blaze on x

  This piece from @RonanFarrow adds devastating detail to what was already a devastating story. MIT needs to face up to this, and now. https://twitter.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  Well that's that. Hose the place out: How An Élite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein https://www.newyorker.com/...

• @sivavaid Siva Vaidhyanathan on x

  This new @RonanFarrow report should erase any doubt that @Joi has no business running @medialab and @MIT must do a complete, independent examination of Epstein's involvement. In addition, all those people who endorsed Joi staying on should reconsider. https://twitter.com/...

• @ronanfarrow Ronan Farrow on x

  After Epstein was a convicted sex offender, listed as “disqualified” from donating in MIT's database, MIT Media Lab worked closely with Epstein, secretly taking donations from him or labeled as having been secured at his direction, from his contacts, including Bill Gates. pic.twi…

• @hypatiadotca Leigh Honeywell on x

  This is so much worse than I could possibly have imagined, and I can imagine a lot. https://twitter.com/...