Sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein donated more than half a million dollars to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab in the years following his 2008 felony conviction for solicitation of prostitution of a minor in Florida.
An independent report revealed that Epstein donated $525,000 to the Media Lab and $225,000 to physics professor Seth Lloyd. The report suggested Epstein made the donations to test if the university would accept contributions following his conviction.
Lloyd took measures to hide the donations from MIT and also received a “personal gift” of $60,000 that was directly deposited into his personal account.
“Professor Lloyd knew that donations from Epstein would be controversial and that MIT might reject them,” read the report. “We conclude that, in concert with Epstein, he purposefully decided not to alert the Institute to Epstein’s criminal record, choosing instead to allow mid-level administrators to process the donations without any formal discussion or diligence concerning Epstein.”
Lloyd’s research focuses on quantum physics, and a bio for the professor claims his work aims to propose “the first technologically feasible design for a quantum computer.”
Epstein, 66, was found dead on Aug. 10, 2019, in his cell at the Manhattan Correctional Center, but controversy has surrounded the financier who was linked to powerful politicians, British royalty, and Hollywood celebrities. Former New York medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden told 60 Minutes that Epstein’s wounds were indicative of someone who died by “murder and strangulation.”
The report clears MIT President Rafael Reif of having any knowledge of the donations, and Reif said in a statement that the university’s misstep “stands as a sharp reminder of human fallibility and its consequences.” The Boston Globe called for Reif’s resignation on Sunday.
