Joi Ito

Joichi "Joi" Ito is a Japanese entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and former director of the MIT Media Lab who resigned in September 2019 after revelations about his extensive financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein became public. According to Wikipedia, Ito served as Media Lab director from 2011 to 2019 and was recognized for his work as an activist, entrepreneur, and advocate for internet freedom. The Epstein archive documents 10,448 emails exchanged between 1991 and 2020, revealing a sustained relationship involving fundraising coordination, frequent meetings at Epstein's properties, and discussions about channeling donations through intermediaries to circumvent MIT's restrictions on accepting Epstein's money. The New Yorker reported that Epstein was credited with securing at least $7.5 million in donations for the Media Lab, including contributions from Bill Gates and Leon Black, though subsequent investigations disputed some of these claims. Ito's resignation came after whistleblower disclosures revealed that the Media Lab concealed the extent of its relationship with Epstein, marking donations as anonymous and referring to Epstein internally as "Voldemort" and "he who shall not be named."

Background☆#

Joichi "Joi" Ito was born June 19, 1966, and is a Japanese entrepreneur and venture capitalist. According to his Wikipedia biography, he served as director of the MIT Media Lab from 2011 to 2019, was a professor of the practice of media arts and sciences at MIT, and held a visiting professorship at Harvard Law School. He co-founded Digital Garage and runs Neoteny, an early-stage venture capital firm. MIT's profile notes he was also a co-founder and board member of Safecast, a volunteer-run platform for open environmental data. He earned a PhD from Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance in 2018. According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards and focused on ethics and governance of technology. He is currently president of Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan.

In September 2019, Ito resigned from all his positions at MIT following revelations by The New Yorker about extensive and concealed financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein. MIT Technology Review reported that the resignation came less than a day after new allegations emerged that Ito's ties to Epstein were more extensive and secretive than he had previously admitted. He also resigned from the New York Times Company board of directors and his Harvard visiting professorship. NPR reported that the scandal erupted after whistleblower disclosures revealed the lab had concealed its relationship with Epstein and labeled his donations as anonymous.

A January 2020 investigation by Goodwin Procter law firm found that Epstein donated $850,000 to MIT between 2002 and 2017, visiting campus at least nine times from 2013 to 2017. MIT News reported that all post-conviction gifts from Epstein were driven by either Ito or professor Seth Lloyd, not by MIT's central administration. The report found that several MIT administrators agreed to accept Epstein's donations on the condition they remain anonymous and unpublicized. The New York Times noted that the investigation reviewed 610,000 emails and conducted 59 interviews.

Correspondence with Epstein☆#

The archive contains 10,448 emails between Ito and Epstein spanning 1991 to March 2020, with Ito sending 5,840 messages and receiving 4,277. The correspondence reveals a sustained relationship centered on fundraising, academic collaboration, and frequent in-person meetings.

The fundraising relationship intensified after Epstein's 2008 conviction. In February 2019, Ito wrote to Epstein: "We were able to keep the Leon Black money, but the $25K from your foundation is getting bounced by MIT back to ASU". Epstein replied: "Trying to get more black for you". Three months later, in May 2019, Epstein offered to have real estate developer Andrew Farkas donate to MIT, writing: "i can have andrew farkas, he gave a building to the hasty pudding harvard. fund plant guys". Ito responded: "Can he give a gift to me at MIT?", and when Epstein asked how Farkas should give the money, Ito replied: "send details". Documents show this involved coordinating donations to redirect funds from Arizona State University's Origins Project to MIT Media Lab.

Throughout 2019, as media scrutiny of Epstein intensified, the correspondence continued. In March 2019, Epstein wrote to Ito: "brutal press. sorry. it seems im a symbol for all ills. if you hate the rich, the men, the trump types. im your boy. at least for the moment. hope you are well". Ito responded: "I'm good. Good luck!" Days later, Epstein sent Ito a link to a New York Times opinion section about the Epstein case.

The emails reveal Ito as a connector within Epstein's network. In August 2014, Epstein wrote to a U.S. Treasury official: "I will be on the call with joi ito", and noted that "Larry Summers was part of your fan club". Ito facilitated introductions for Epstein's portfolio projects, including virtual reality company Wearality, forwarding updates to Epstein about product development and Kickstarter launches. In November 2014, Ito forwarded Epstein a pitch for investment: "I think we should invest" in a water-soluble GPCR project, noting that Danny Hillis was already investing.

Discussions of scientific topics were frequent. Following a May 2016 dinner with Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and Danny Hillis, Ito sent Epstein papers on AI-generated haiku and links to neural style transfer videos, with Epstein expressing interest in artificial general intelligence research. The correspondence included technical discussions about 4K television technology and Sony home theater systems.

Personal elements appeared throughout. In October 2014, discussing a scientist, Ito wrote: "I'm trying to get to know more people in this space so I can feed your brain cravings". When asking about exercise equipment, Ito added: "my wife wants to know if you got rid of your gyrotonics machine", to which Epstein replied: "Yes I used the leather straps for more fun exercise".

Connections☆#

Ito's correspondence places him at the intersection of Epstein's networks in technology, academia, and venture capital. Reid Hoffman appears in 363 shared emails, frequently coordinating dinners and meetings. In July 2015, Hoffman invited Epstein to join a dinner with "joi, ed boyden, mark zuckerberg, and a few others" in Palo Alto. A February 2014 email shows Epstein inviting both Ito and Hoffman to dinner with Bill Gates in New York: "Bill's schedule changed, he will have dinner in new york on the 24th. you and Reid are welcome".

Martin A. Nowak appears in 336 shared emails, with Martin Nowak's Program for Evolutionary Dynamics at Harvard serving as a frequent meeting location. A November 2014 email lists an "8:00pm dinner w/Joi Ito, Reid Hoffman, George Church, Martin Nowak, Larry Summers and Danny Hillis in Cambridge" at Nowak's office, with instructions to "Make sure a Dry Erase Board is available".

Joscha Bach, appearing in 229 shared emails, received ongoing financial support. Documents show Epstein instructing his financial manager Richard Kahn to "pay th tuition" for Bach's child's school, with amounts ranging from $29,000 to $89,000 channeled through Epstein's Enhanced Education foundation.

Larry Summers appears in 52 shared emails. A November 2014 message shows Ito and Summers requesting a conference room at Martin Nowak's institute from 7-8pm for a meeting. After a May 2016 dinner, Summers wrote to Epstein, Hoffman, and Ito requesting "the best couple of surveys on all this or stuff to read" about AGI, while his partner asked to see "the haiku the computer wrote".

Lesley Groff, Epstein's executive assistant, coordinated extensively with Ito's assistants Mika Tanaka and Danielle Nadeaut, appearing in 662 and 120 shared emails respectively. Other frequent correspondents include Media Lab researchers Kevin Slavin (105 emails), Ed Boyden (74 emails), and technology figures including Barnaby Marsh (88 emails) and Joshua Cooper Ramo (53 emails).

Document References☆#

The archive contains extensive documentation of Ito's meetings and coordination with Epstein's network. Schedule documents from June 2017 show Epstein traveling to Bedford, Massachusetts for lunch at Harvard with Valeria and Noam, followed by "3:30pm meeting Joi Ito at his house", with Epstein's assistant coordinating the details. A January 2018 schedule shows a meeting at "Joi Ito's house" including sessions with the Digital Currency Initiative team (Rob Ali, Madars Virza, Neha Narula) and professors Hugh Herr, Kevin Esvelt, and Ed Boyden to discuss "One Science."

Meeting records at Martin Nowak's institute appear repeatedly. A February 2018 coordination email shows Ito planning to visit Epstein at "Martin's institute this Saturday at 3pm" with MIT personnel arriving in waves: "Digital Currency Initiative team at 4pm and Hugh Herr and Ed Boyden at 6pm." A May 2018 schedule lists "11:30am-3:00pm Joi Ito" at the institute. These meetings frequently involved coordinating with Danny Hillis, with emails showing attempts to schedule "12-1:45pm on May 2nd at Martin Nowak's institute".

Financial coordination documents reveal the mechanics of donation laundering. A February 2019 correspondence between Arizona State University Foundation and Epstein's financial manager Richard Kahn details the transfer of $707,122 in unspent donations from ASU's Origins Project, with $467,150 attributed to Leon Black's gifts being redirected to MIT Media Lab. The document explains ASU's methodology for determining which funds remained unspent and notes that "Please remember that there is no legal requirement for the Foundation to refund or re-direct gifts since all gifts are irrevocable." A January 2019 email shows Epstein instructing Gretchen Buhlig at ASU Foundation: "below find info to transfer to MIT media lab. the funds previously donated to Origins."

Communications infrastructure documents show the concealment efforts. An April 2011 email from Lesley Groff confirms scheduling meetings with MIT researchers at Martin Nowak's office. A September 2017 message shows Epstein referring individuals to "joi ito at the media lab if you need some comfort" regarding his credentials funding brain research.

Visits to Epstein Properties☆#

Manhattan Townhouse

The archive documents no visits to Epstein's Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street.

Martin Nowak's Harvard Office (1 Brattle Square, Suite 6)

While not Epstein's property, this location served as Epstein's primary meeting venue in Cambridge and documents at least 15 scheduled meetings with Ito:

1. June 24, 2013 - Meeting scheduled, with Ito asking "can you check with Joe Jacobson?" about who from his team should attend
2. September 25, 2013 - Lunch meeting with Steve Sinofsky and Sultan; Ito's attendance uncertain (schedule)
3. November 30, 2014 - 8:00pm dinner with Reid Hoffman, George Church, Larry Summers, Danny Hillis (coordination)
4. December 16, 2015 - Morning meeting; Ito arrived at Epstein's apartment 9:30-9:45am, staying until 12:00pm (coordination)
5. September 17, 2016 - 12:00pm meeting at Martin's institute (confirmation)
6. February 17, 2018 - Ito planning to visit at 3:00pm with Media Lab personnel at 4pm and 6pm (coordination)
7. March 25, 2018 - 12:00pm meeting (scheduling)
8. May 6, 2018 - 11:30am-3:00pm meeting (schedule)
9. June 30, 2017 - 3:30pm meeting at "Joi Ito's house" following Bedford arrival (schedule)
10. January 12, 2018 - 1:30pm meeting at Joi Ito's house with Digital Currency Initiative and One Science professors (schedule)
11. April 21, 2014 - 3-5:00pm meeting at Media Lab with Barnaby Marsh, Martin Nowak, Kevin Slavin (schedule)
12. October 2015 - Dinner meeting; Ito arrived evening of 10/1, with Barnaby arriving at 2pm on 10/2 (coordination)
13. November 19, 2015 - 9:00am breakfast scheduled (notice)
14. June 8, 2014 - 12:30pm lunch with Woody Allen and Ito (invitation)
15. May 22, 2013 - 7:30pm dinner with Ed Boyden and possibly Woody Allen (schedule)

Little St. James Island

One documented visit: July 3, 2013. Emails show Ito was originally scheduled for helicopter pickup from St. Thomas airport but this changed to boat transport. Lesley Groff wrote: "you will no longer be picked up via helicopter from St. Thomas airport. Instead, please look for Jermaine who will be at the airport holding a sign with your name on it. He will get you on to Jeffrey's island via boat". A September 2013 reminder noted "Possibly Reid Hoffman and Joi Ito to the island sometime after Oct. 15", though no confirmation of this visit appears in the archive.

Palm Beach Residence

No visits documented in the archive.

New Mexico Ranch

No visits documented in the archive. An August 2013 email shows Ito asking "What's the Brockman farm? Did he recently buy it?" when Epstein mentioned going to the "brockman farm on the 7th". This indicates Ito was not familiar with Epstein's ranch property.

Paris Apartment

No visits documented in the archive.

Criminal Exposure Assessment☆#

The archive documents conduct within the scope of multiple federal statutes detailed at Criminal Statutes:

Obstruction and Concealment — The correspondence and documents show systematic efforts to conceal Epstein's role in MIT donations after he was designated a "disqualified donor" by MIT in 2008. In February 2019, Ito wrote to Epstein: "We were able to keep the Leon Black money, but the $25K from your foundation is getting bounced by MIT back to ASU". This exchange demonstrates knowledge of MIT's rejection of direct Epstein donations. Three months later, in May 2019, the correspondence shows Epstein and Ito coordinating to have Andrew Farkas donate instead, with Ito asking "Can he give a gift to me at MIT?" and Epstein responding "how should farkas give the money". Documents reveal coordination to redirect $707,122 from Arizona State University to MIT, with $467,150 attributed to Leon Black. Internal emails obtained by The New Yorker showed the lab referred to Epstein as "Voldemort" and donations were marked "Jeffrey money, needs to be anonymous" to avoid detection. This conduct falls within the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (tampering with documents and obstructing proceedings) and 18 U.S.C. § 1505 (obstruction of proceedings before agencies).

Wire Fraud — The coordination of donations through intermediaries while concealing Epstein's role involves interstate wire communications in furtherance of a scheme to defraud MIT of its right to make informed decisions about donor acceptance. The May 2019 exchange where Ito asks Epstein to have Farkas "give a gift to me at MIT", followed by Ito providing "details" for the transfer, documents use of electronic communications to execute the scheme. The ASU to MIT transfer documents and January 2019 instruction from Epstein to "transfer to MIT media lab. the funds previously donated to Origins" further evidence wire transmissions executing the fraudulent scheme. This conduct falls within the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud).

Money Laundering — The systematic movement of funds from Epstein through multiple intermediaries (Arizona State University, Leon Black, Andrew Farkas) to reach MIT Media Lab, while concealing their origin, constitutes financial transactions involving proceeds designed to conceal their source. The February 2019 message "We were able to keep the Leon Black money, but the $25K from your foundation is getting bounced" followed by Epstein's "Trying to get more black for you" documents knowledge that certain funding sources would be rejected if properly attributed. The ASU Foundation correspondence detailing the $707,122 transfer and calculation methodology demonstrates the structural complexity designed to obscure fund origins. This conduct falls within the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (laundering of monetary instruments).

Misprision of Felony — Following Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, Ito continued an active relationship spanning 2011-2019, including the July 2013 visit to Epstein's private island and at least 15 documented meetings at Harvard and MIT properties. The sustained correspondence through March 2019, including the exchange where Epstein wrote "brutal press. sorry. it seems im a symbol for all ills" and Ito responded "Good luck!", demonstrates continued association with knowledge of Epstein's conviction. The systematic efforts to conceal Epstein's role in funding constitute affirmative steps to conceal the ongoing relationship. This conduct falls within the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 4 (misprision of felony).