Science magazine: What kind of researcher did sex offender Jeffrey Epstein fund?
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This Science magazine article documents Jeffrey Epstein's scientific philanthropy practices, relevant to AI safety discussions about funding sources, institutional integrity, and the importance of vetting financial support for research organizations and AI safety initiatives.
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This Science magazine article documents a 2017 interview with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein about his scientific philanthropy, conducted before his death in jail in 2019. Epstein stated he sought to fund "rebel" researchers working in "rarefied air" and claimed his donations aimed to compensate for Trump administration cuts to research. The article reveals contradictions in Epstein's stated philosophy—he positioned himself as a visionary supporter of unconventional science while his actual giving (likely tens of millions over 20 years) was modest compared to the U.S. government's $150 billion annual research budget. The piece examines which scientists accepted his funding and the implications of his involvement in the scientific community.
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| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Epstein's Connections to AI Researchers | -- | 57.0 |
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# What kind of researcher did sex offender Jeffrey Epstein like to fund? He told Science before he died
## Felon said he liked “rebels” and “rarefied air” in 2017 interview
- 19 Sep 2019
- By [Jeffrey Mervis](https://www.science.org/content/author/jeffrey-mervis "Jeffrey Mervis")
Jeffrey Epstein (left) and artificial intelligence pioneer Marvin Minsky (right), whom Epstein viewed as a trusted scientific adviserRick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images
In August 2017, I received an email from publicist Masha Drokova asking whether I wanted to interview her client, Jeffrey Epstein.
"I saw your piece on \[President Donald\] Trump's science budget," she wrote, referring to a story on the president's proposed massive cuts to research in his 2018 budget request to Congress. "Jeffrey has an interesting perspective on what it will take to fill the gaps. … Would you like to speak with him next week?"
Why would Science talk to a shadowy financier and convicted sex offender? I queried my editors. "How strange," one said. "Wonder why he is seeking press now?" another asked.
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Eventually, we decided I should accept the invitation, on the chance that Epstein would say something newsworthy. And on 8 September 2017, I reached him, via Skype, at his mansion in New York City's fashionable Upper East Side. (According to federal prosecutors, that is also where Epstein engaged in sex acts with teenage girls during naked massage sessions.)
Epstein began the 80-minute interview by asking me to agree, if we wrote a story based on the interview, not to use any quotes without first getting his permission. "I have lots of detractors," he said, "so certain things phrased the wrong way could make trouble for you and I." I agreed to his terms.
Now, 2 years later, a more complete picture of Epstein's alleged predations has emerged, and last month the disgraced financier hanged himself in jail after being arrested on federal charges of sex trafficking. My editors and I concluded that given Epstein's death and the intense interest in his suppor
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