Individual Profile — Joichi Ito

Source: Epstein World Pulse — Master Index. All claims are from internet research as of February 2026. DOJ file evidence cross-referenced 2026-02-26.

Who They Are

Joichi "Joi" Ito served as Director of the MIT Media Lab from 2011 to 2019. He is a prominent technology investor, entrepreneur, and connector figure in the global tech community. He previously resigned from the MIT Media Lab in 2019 when his Epstein connections were first publicly exposed.

Connection to Epstein — Overview

Ito brokered meetings between Epstein and major technology figures including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. He solicited and accepted Epstein donations to the MIT Media Lab, including funds used to keep Bitcoin Core developers on the payroll. He organized the August 2015 dinner attended by Musk, Zuckerberg, Thiel, and others. He previously resigned from MIT in 2019.

Documented Contact (Internet Research, Feb 2026)

Brokered meetings between Epstein and technology figures including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.
Solicited and accepted Epstein donations to the MIT Media Lab, including funds to keep Bitcoin Core developers on the payroll.
Organized the August 2, 2015 dinner that brought together Musk, Zuckerberg, Thiel and others, with Epstein in attendance.
Previously resigned from MIT Media Lab in 2019 when his Epstein connections were first exposed by reporting from The New Yorker.

Allegations and Claims

Ito's role in facilitating Epstein's access to the tech world — including MIT, Bitcoin Core, and Silicon Valley leadership — is the primary source of concern.
No victim has made direct allegations of criminal conduct against Ito.

This Individual's Response

Resigned from MIT Media Lab in 2019 when his Epstein connections were first exposed.
No new statements about the 2025–2026 file releases reported in the source material.

Legal and Professional Consequences

Resigned from MIT Media Lab in 2019.
No criminal charges publicly announced.

Key Claims for DOJ Evidence Cross-Reference

Claim A: Ito brokered meetings between Epstein and Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.
Claim B: Ito solicited and accepted Epstein donations for the MIT Media Lab, including to keep Bitcoin Core developers on payroll.
Claim C: Ito organized the August 2, 2015 dinner attended by Musk, Zuckerberg, Thiel, and Epstein.
Claim D: Ito resigned from MIT Media Lab in 2019 when his Epstein connections were first publicly exposed.

DOJ File Evidence

Claim A — Ito brokered meetings between Epstein and Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates

Verdict: SUPPORTS (Gates) / INCONCLUSIVE (Bezos)

The DOJ corpus confirms Ito's role as a conduit between Epstein and Bill Gates's network, but does not contain direct documentary evidence of Ito brokering a specific Epstein–Bezos meeting.

Gates — SUPPORTS:

EFTA00064827 (SDNY News Clips, January 10, 2020 — NYT article): "In one 2014 email, Mr. Ito wrote that a $2 million gift from the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had been 'directed by Jeffrey Epstein.' In a subsequent email, another official at the lab wrote that 'for gift recording purposes, we will not be mentioning Jeffrey's name as the impetus for this gift.'" Gates denied Epstein had directed grant-making on his behalf.
EFTA00650477 (October 23, 2017): Ito forwarded to Epstein an introduction email from Lili Cheng connecting Ito to Greg Martinez — a senior associate at BGC3 (Bill Gates Company #3, Gates's personal investment vehicle): "He works for Bill Gates @ BGC3... would be great for Media Lab to connect to some of the cool things with Bill." Ito forwarded this to Epstein with the query: "Do you know him?" — indicating Ito was looping Epstein into potential Gates-adjacent networking.
EFTA00064817 (same SDNY News Clips compilation, second version): Confirms the 2014 email and concealment email verbatim: "Mr. Ito and other Media Lab officials took steps to conceal the lab's relationship with Mr. Epstein."

Bezos — INCONCLUSIVE: No direct documentary evidence in the DOJ corpus of Ito specifically brokering an Epstein–Bezos meeting. The claim in internet research is likely derived from the same Goodwin Procter investigation reporting, but no Bezos-specific email or calendar entry appears in the searched documents.

Claim B — Ito solicited and accepted Epstein donations for the MIT Media Lab, including to keep Bitcoin Core developers on payroll

Verdict: SUPPORTS (direct documentary evidence)

EFTA00680068 (April 25, 2015): Ito emails Epstein directly: "Used gift funds to underwrite this which allowed us to move quickly and win this round. Thanks." The attached forward describes the MIT Digital Currency Initiative bringing three Bitcoin Core developers (Gavin Andresen, Wladimir van der Laan, Cory Fields) from the collapsed Bitcoin Foundation onto MIT Media Lab's payroll: "MIT's famed Media Lab has become the principal home and funding source for the small team of developers responsible for maintaining and improving bitcoin's core software." This document is the original primary source email in which Ito thanks Epstein for the "gift funds" used to recruit Bitcoin Core developers. Subject line: "Digital Currency Initiative."
EFTA00587633 (Draft letter dated November 3, 2015): A draft donation letter from the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation to Joi Ito, Director, MIT Media Lab: "I hereby inform you of an unrestricted gift of $100,000 from the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation to support Professor Neri Oxman's research. Please note that the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation wishes to remain strictly anonymous with this gift." This document demonstrates the secret nature of Epstein's donations to the lab.
EFTA00634805: A second copy of the same November 3, 2015 draft donation letter (duplicate rendering).
EFTA00064827 (SDNY News Clips, January 10, 2020): "The lab's director, Joichi Ito, acknowledged raising $1.7 million from Mr. Epstein for the lab and his own outside investment funds." And: "The convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein donated a total of $850,000 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and top administrators were aware of the gifts for years." The Goodwin Procter investigation found Epstein "made 10 donations from 2002 to 2017, and also visited the school nine times from 2013 to 2017."

Claim C — Ito organized the August 2, 2015 dinner attended by Musk, Zuckerberg, Thiel, and Epstein

Verdict: SUPPORTS (dinner documented; Ito's role as organizer supported by his presence on guest list)

EFTA00344562 (July 31, 2015 — Saida Sapieva to Lesley Groff): The original dinner invitation confirmation email. Details: "6 pm on Sunday, August 2 / Baume Restaurant / 201 S California Ave / Palo Alto, CA 94306 / We bought out the restaurant, so it will just be our group." Final guest list: Ed Boyden, Desiree Dudley, Reid Hoffman, Michelle Yee, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, Peter Thiel, Jeffrey Epstein, Navaid Farooq, Elon Musk, Joi Ito (added to replace a duplicate Epstein entry). This is the original primary source document confirming the dinner and all attendees.
EFTA00344564 (July 31, 2015 — Lesley Groff to Saida Sapieva): Groff's confirmation reply, acknowledging the corrected final guest list with Joi Ito replacing the duplicate Epstein entry.
Note: The claim that Ito "organized" the dinner is supported by contextual evidence — he was added to the list at Sapieva's initiative — but the email chain shows Epstein's side (Sapieva) as the primary organizer. Ito's role may have been as a co-host or key invitee rather than sole organizer, consistent with the broader pattern of Epstein hosting tech dinners with Ito as a central connector.

Claim D — Ito resigned from MIT Media Lab in 2019 when his Epstein connections were first publicly exposed

Verdict: SUPPORTS (multiple documents)

EFTA00064827 (SDNY News Clips, January 10, 2020 — NYT article): "Mr. Ito, a master networker who had raised at least $50 million for the Media Lab, resigned from the center in September [2019]. He also stepped down from The New York Times Company's board of directors, as well as several other boards and a visiting professorship at Harvard." The article confirms the trigger: Epstein's arrest and charging in July 2019 led to the public reckoning; the Goodwin Procter investigation exposed the concealment emails.
EFTA00064817 (same compilation, second rendering): Confirms resignation verbatim: "Joichi Ito... resigned from the center in September."
EFTA00319058 (September 14–15, 2016): An email from Epstein's assistant to Ito's assistant (Mika Tanaka) coordinating a meeting at Martin Nowak's institute — demonstrating ongoing active contact through at least 2016. The 2019 resignation followed by approximately three years of continued engagement after this email.

Additional Documents of Note

EFTA02090807 (November 25, 2014): Mika Tanaka (Ito's assistant) confirms Ito's attendance at Epstein's dinner at Martin Nowak's Institute on November 30, 2014 — a separate dinner from the August 2015 Silicon Valley event. Shows sustained multi-year contact.
EFTA00358216 (November 25, 2014 — reply to dinner invitation): Confirmation of Ito's attendance at the November 30, 2014 Epstein dinner at Martin Nowak's Institute: "The dinner confirmed on Joi's calendar."