Joichi Ito admitted he received donations from Jeffrey Epstein. (Image via: The Straits Times)

MIT Media Lab Director Resigned Due to Financial Ties with Jeffrey Epstein

On Saturday, the resignation news of MIT Media Lab director Joichi Ito announced by MIT President L. Rafael Reif. Reif also said that the university was engaging a law firm to run an independent review. This announcement came a day after The New Yorker’s article revealed donations Epstein made and solicited for MIT. Based on The New Yorker’s article, the internal MIT emails and documents show that Joichi Ito and other MIT Media Lab Staff was receiving contributions from Jeffrey Epstein, the multimillionaire financier and convicted sex offender who was died by suicide.

The acceptance of Epstein’s donations happened even when Epstein was on the blacklist from the university's official donor database. The New Yorker also mentioned that Epstein helped to secure at least $7.5m (£6.1m) in donations. Epstein’s role was allegedly went far to serve as an intermediary between the Lab and other wealthy donors, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The allegation was denied by Gates’ spokesperson by saying that any claim that Epstein directed any programmatic or personal grantmaking for Bill Gates is completely false.

Meanwhile, Joichi Ito’s confession already came out since August revealed that he had accepted donations from Epstein, along with investments into his own personal funds. Ito was allegedly had taken $525,000 from Epstein for the lab and another $1.2 million for his private investment funds. Then on Saturday afternoon this week, MIT President L. Rafael Reif said that he received Ito’s resignation. Ito also wrote in an email obtained by The New York Times saying he was resigned as director of the media lab, a professor, and employee of the Institute.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49623084