Tech Billionaire Accidentally Joins Epstein Island Fundraiser, Wishes He Googled

KEY POINTS

•Reid Hoffman spent one night on Jeffrey Epstein's island in 2015 to encourage donations to the MIT Media Lab.
•Hoffman hosted a Palo Alto dinner with Epstein, Zuckerberg, and Musk to boost fundraising, later regretting it publicly.
•After Epstein's death and DOJ investigations, Hoffman has apologized and urged full transparency on all Epstein-related files.

In a tale as awkward as an unsolicited email from a convicted sex offender, LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman confessed on Eric Newcomer's Dec. 1 podcast to spending one night on Jeffrey Epstein's private island for MIT fundraising efforts. Hoffman was told Epstein might open his checkbook if the visit happened, showcasing top-tier cold call tactics. The island featured guest rooms, a pool, and a courtyard—perfect for casual networking with a convicted sex trafficker, who Hoffman describes politely as a 'masterful networker.' The 2015 dinner in Palo Alto hosted by Hoffman included Zuckerberg, Musk, and Epstein, the latter attending as a supposed donation bait. Hoffman has apologized publicly and said he wished he'd Googled Epstein first—a lesson in 21st-century diligence from the billionaire who once had to hire security to fend off conspiracy theories stirred by Elon Musk. Meanwhile, Trump ordered DOJ probes into Hoffman and others with Epstein ties, spotlighting the most bizarre bipartisan spectator sport yet: who's linked to Epstein now?

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

When your big strategy to score MIT funds is camping out one night on Epstein’s island, maybe pause and google before networking with a convicted sex trafficker. Fundraising’s changing, folks.

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