The former director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab wrote in a statement on his website that he will not seek reappointment as an expert advisory member of the government’s Global Startup Campus Initiative because “the initial objectives have reached a milestone.”
Regarding his relationship with Epstein, Ito, whose correspondence as “Joi Ito” with the financier and convicted sex offender reportedly involved thousands of emails, said he “never witnessed, or became aware of any evidence of, the horrific conduct that has since come to light.”
“Had I known what has since emerged, I would without question have severed all ties,” he added.
Ito resigned as director of the MIT Media Lab in 2019 after it came out that the university had accepted donations from Epstein. He said in the statement that a report commissioned by MIT at the time confirmed that the donations had been accepted with the approval of senior administrators and that he had not violated any laws or policies.
Chiba Institute of Technology, where Ito has served as president since 2023, defended him Saturday in a statement suggesting he will remain in the post. The school, located in Narashino, near Tokyo, said he “reaffirmed that he was never aware of the existence of any illegal or improper conduct and has never been involved in any illegal or improper conduct.”
“Accordingly, our university’s trust in President Ito remains unchanged,” the statement read.
Besides exiting the advisory group of the government initiative, Ito said he will also step down from an advisory role in the Digital Agency’s Digital Society Initiative at the end of this month “in order to dedicate myself fully to my role as university president.”
Translate This Article
