MIT Media Lab Director Resigns Over Epstein Ties

After eight years at the helm, Joi Ito stepped down as director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab on September 7. He announced his resignation after MIT came under public scrutiny for accepting donations from the late financier and accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Ito’s personal connection with Epstein was first brought to light in July, when the leaked calendar of geneticist George Church revealed that Ito and Church had attended a dinner with Epstein in 2014. On August 15, Ito publicly apologized on the Media Lab’s website, explaining how he had met Epstein at a conference in 2013, which led to the financier channeling around USD 525,000 to the Lab and USD 1.2 million to Ito’s