Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties • Hacker News Board

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#121

Post by eloisius » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #110

nf8nnfufuu wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, I don't get it. Somebody having assistants who look like models and are from Eastern Europe is suspicious of trafficking women? How? Why? I have heard about Epstein, obviously with hindsight all sorts of things he did can be seen in a new light. I just don't understand what is so damning about the passage above. Would somebody who is trafficking women really take them everywhere he goes? I thought it would be…

That Epstein was problematic --- something that in essentially no doubt at this point after his indictment, imprisonment, and subsequent suicide --- was so well-understood to the Media Lab team at the time that they were considering intervening to help Epstein's escorts, on the off chance that they had been trafficked. That is not a position most people's bosses ever put them in, but it's what Ito did to staff at the…

Might be some doubt about his suicide, but you’re right.

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#122

Post by wuliwong » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:24 PM UTC

tempsy wrote: post #44

FireBeyond wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Leaving aside this particular situation... Many philanthropists will say "I wish to donate $X", and then ask a friend/group/organization, "Where would you like me to donate this?", hence a "directed donation".

Gates is denying Epstein was involved in this donation at all, despite the emails. Plus, Gates was well aware how unsavery Epstein was given his insistence the donation be made anonymously. Doesn't add up.

I didn't see anywhere in the article explaining the Gates wanted the donation to be anonymous. It looks like Peter Cohen of MIT wanted to not mention "Jeffery's name as the impetus for this gift."

This certainly doesn't look good for Bill Gates. I have trouble believing that Ito was lying in his 2014 email concerning the Gates donation. Possibly, he was mislead by Epstein but I can't think of any reason Ito himself would lie.

As someone else commented about a different aspect of the article, I'm doubt we will ever learn more.

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#123

Post by Twirrim » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:27 PM UTC

joewee wrote: post #113

bradly wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Joi shouldn’t be hung for giving someone the benefit of doubt. Epstein had already been convicted and banned from MIT donations. In a position of leadership you are responsible to keep a healthy and safe workplace. That’s part of the job of running a lab. If you are unable or unwilling to do that, you should not be in a leadership role.

Ok maybe I’m missing something. Joi allowed him to visit the lab after he was banned?

And took donations after Epstein was disqualified as a funder (after his 2008 conviction), and deliberately manipulated things to make them anonymous. It's blatant, done with full understanding, and (stupidly) with an email trail of evidence.

'In September, 2014, Ito wrote to Epstein soliciting a cash infusion to fund a certain researcher, asking, “Could you re-up/top-off with another $100K so we can extend his contract another year?” Epstein replied, “yes.” Forwarding the response to a member of his staff, Ito wrote, “Make sure this gets accounted for as anonymous.” Peter Cohen, the M.I.T. Media Lab’s Director of Development and Strategy at the time, reiterated, “Jeffrey money, needs to be anonymous. Thanks.”'

and

' But the e-mails show that Ito consulted closely with Epstein and actively sought the various donations. At one point, Cohen reached out to Ito for advice about a donor, writing, “you or Jeffrey would know best.”'

and so on, and so forth. The article is worth a read.

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#124

Post by rosser » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:28 PM UTC

matz1 wrote: post #118

rosser wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is precisely zero need for assumption here. The only way Epstein's behavior could have been more in the open is if he were advertising screenings of the "home movies" he made with these girls. When you continue to associate with that guy, you're saying, "People who do that are okay with us." That's normalization. Especially when, say, your day job is as the head of a pretty damned prestigious institution like J…

Just because he has been convicted before doesn't mean this time he did it again. Thats for the police to figure out. I disagree, even if its proven he did it, taking money and hanging out with child trafficker doesn't mean one condone the practice of the trafficking itself.

> ...doesn't mean one condone the practice...

Ohai, goalpost.

I thought we were talking about normalizing things, not condoning them.

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#125

Post by jacobolus » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:29 PM UTC

testis321 wrote: post #64

crispyambulance wrote: post #41

> I don't get it. This is one of those things where somebody noticed that things just didn't seem right and the proper response to that is to raise concern and ask questions. Sorry, but a 60-something "finance" guy with an entourage of teen models doesn't add up. Sure some of these people have trophy wives half their age, and it raises eyebrows, but this is far beyond that and totally unacceptable once somebody looks…

> Sorry, but a 60-something "finance" guy with an entourage of teen models doesn't add up. The only problematic thing here is the age of those models. Otherwise, rich people like that are often surrounded with girls of questionable morals and intentions, who do stuff and in return get stuff (some would call it prostitution, some would imply that prostitution had an agreement done in advance...). In some poorer countr…

Yes, in places where there is an extreme power imbalance, with few employment opportunities for the disadvantaged, and no morals or accountability among elites, all manner of scummy things happen.

We should strive to ameliorate the conditions in the world that make this happen, so that young women can aspire to being scientists or doctors or businesswomen, instead of some corrupt asshole’s decorative servants.

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#126

Post by SantalBlush » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:29 PM UTC

goatinaboat wrote: post #81

input_sh wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.” That same future president being quoted in an article about Epstein in 2002.

Great! Now do the one about Bill Clinton taking 27 flights on the Lolita Express! Or the one about Trump banning Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2008 when he started to suspect...

Former ties with Epstein. Approved paying a porn star to keep her quiet. The "Grab them by the pussy" quote. Several rape allegations.

Connect the dots, dude.

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#127

Post by wuliwong » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:31 PM UTC

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #30

tempsy wrote: post #19

Why would Bill Gates need Epstein to be the middle man for his $2 mil donation? Why didn't he just donate to the Media Lab directly? And given his insistence that the donation be made anonymously, it seems like he was well aware the optics would be bad if the public knew there was a connection between the two, and yet he chose to make the donation through Epstein anyway.

Bill Gates has given many times personally to the Media Lab secretly. He gave on this occasion on Epstein's request. To him, this was just a financer asking if he could give some cash to the Media Lab, considering Gates had donated before, AFAIK.

You don't know what Bill Gates thought of Jeffery Epstein. And in 2014 Jeffery Epstein was not "just a financier".

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#128

Post by wuliwong » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:33 PM UTC

tempsy wrote: post #36

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bill Gates has given many times personally to the Media Lab secretly. He gave on this occasion on Epstein's request. To him, this was just a financer asking if he could give some cash to the Media Lab, considering Gates had donated before, AFAIK.

Gates is flat out denying that Epstein had anything to do with this specific $2m donation at all.

Its hard for me to believe the emails were lies but I guess it is possible that Epstein lied to Ito about the money coming from Gates? Unless the money came from Gates' account and wasn't first transferred to an account controlled by Epstein, it will probably be hard to tell.

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#129

Post by ngold » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:36 PM UTC

testis321 wrote: post #64

crispyambulance wrote: post #41

> I don't get it. This is one of those things where somebody noticed that things just didn't seem right and the proper response to that is to raise concern and ask questions. Sorry, but a 60-something "finance" guy with an entourage of teen models doesn't add up. Sure some of these people have trophy wives half their age, and it raises eyebrows, but this is far beyond that and totally unacceptable once somebody looks…

> Sorry, but a 60-something "finance" guy with an entourage of teen models doesn't add up. The only problematic thing here is the age of those models. Otherwise, rich people like that are often surrounded with girls of questionable morals and intentions, who do stuff and in return get stuff (some would call it prostitution, some would imply that prostitution had an agreement done in advance...). In some poorer countr…

I think the lesson here is, leave your sex trafficked models at home when conducting business. It is telling how common this must have been for the thousands of years before the internet. What was Charlemagnes wife, like 13 when she started getting pregnant?

Re: Joi Ito Resigns from M.I.T. Media Lab After Outcry over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

#130

Post by nullc » Sat, Sep 07, 2019, 9:36 PM UTC

Retric wrote: post #51

nullc wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm confused by the blacklisted donor thing. The first questions I had when reading about it was "when did he end up on this list?", "why did he end up on it?, and "how big is this list?" It doesn't seem like any of the journalists even asked. That sounds like a very interesting story in and of itself.

Yea, I suspect his prior conviction for “solicitation of prostitution involving a minor” may have played a part. But, the details could be interesting.

I wonder how that happens, like what would have caused them to take notice and add him to a list?

In part, I wonder if it has any connection to Gregory Benford's description of Minsky's interaction with Epstein: https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/339725/