- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Dem Donor Explains Epstein Connections, Regrets Involvement
Reid Hoffman says he only knew Jeffrey Epstein through MIT fundraising, calls on Trump to deliver information to Epstein's victims.
Feb. 4, 2026 at 6:47am
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
A prominent Democratic donor, Reid Hoffman, has tried to contain the fallout after a recent release of Epstein files revealed his connections to the deceased convicted child sex abuser. Hoffman says he only knew Epstein because of a fundraising relationship with MIT, which he regrets. He has provided details of additional meetings with Epstein in 2016 and 2018 that he was previously unaware of. Hoffman is now calling on President Trump to deliver information to Epstein's victims.
Why it matters
Hoffman's connections to Epstein have drawn scrutiny, especially from President Trump who has ordered a Justice Department investigation into the LinkedIn co-founder. This latest disclosure of additional meetings with Epstein is an attempt by Hoffman to get ahead of the story and be transparent about his limited involvement.
The details
According to Hoffman, his meetings with Epstein were all coordinated by Joi Ito, then director of the MIT Media Lab, and took place between 2016 and 2018. Hoffman says the last meeting he had with Epstein was in 2018, contradicting his previous statement to Axios that the last meeting was in 2015.
- On April 8, 2016, Hoffman met with Epstein in Palo Alto.
- On April 29, 2016, Hoffman met with Joi Ito from MIT in Cambridge.
- On June 20, 2016, Hoffman had a Skype call.
- On June 25, 2016, Hoffman had another Skype call.
- On July 24, 2016, Hoffman met with Joi Ito from MIT and Martin Nowak in Cambridge.
- On March 24, 2018, Hoffman had a Skype call with Joi Ito from MIT.
The players
Reid Hoffman
A prominent Democratic donor and the co-founder of LinkedIn.
Jeffrey Epstein
A deceased convicted child sex abuser.
Joi Ito
The former director of the MIT Media Lab who coordinated Hoffman's meetings with Epstein.
Donald Trump
The President of the United States who has ordered a Justice Department investigation into Hoffman's connections to Epstein.
What they’re saying
“I only knew Jeffrey Epstein because of a fundraising relationship with MIT, which I very much regret.”
— Reid Hoffman (rawstory.com)
“The victims of Epstein's abhorrent and vile actions deserve all the information they are seeking, and I continue to call on President Trump to deliver that for them.”
— Reid Hoffman (rawstory.com)
What’s next
The Justice Department investigation ordered by President Trump into Hoffman's connections to Epstein is ongoing.
The takeaway
This case highlights the continued scrutiny and fallout from Epstein's crimes, with prominent figures like Hoffman being forced to reckon with their limited connections to the disgraced financier. Transparency and accountability remain key priorities for Epstein's victims and the public at large.
