Reid Garrett Hoffman is an American internet entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and co-founder of LinkedIn, the professional networking platform. Since joining Greylock Partners in 2009, he has been a prominent investor in technology startups and served on multiple corporate and nonprofit boards. The archive documents 2,465 emails between Hoffman and Jeffrey Epstein's network spanning July 2013 to March 2019. The relationship centered on MIT Media Lab fundraising, neuroscience initiatives, venture capital investments, and intellectual exchanges. Hoffman visited Epstein's private island in November 2014 and attended multiple events at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse, including a December 2014 breakfast with Bill Gates. Hoffman served as anchor investor ($5-10 million) in Joi Ito's Neoteny 4 venture fund and actively solicited Epstein as a potential investor in the fund. In September 2019, Hoffman publicly apologized for his role in fundraising activities involving Epstein, stating he "helped to repair his reputation and perpetuate injustice". According to contemporaneous reporting, Hoffman defended Joi Ito's handling of the Epstein situation through August 2019, only apologizing after Ronan Farrow's September exposé. No victims of Epstein's crimes have made public allegations of wrongdoing by Hoffman.
Background#
Hoffman was born August 5, 1967, and attended Stanford University and Oxford University, where he studied philosophy. He was part of the founding team at PayPal, serving as executive vice president before co-founding LinkedIn in 2003. LinkedIn became the world's largest professional networking service with over 400 million members under Hoffman's leadership as CEO through its first four years. He joined Greylock Partners as a venture capitalist in 2009, focusing on early-stage investments in network-effect businesses. His investments include Airbnb, Facebook, and numerous other technology companies.
Hoffman's connection to Epstein came through MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito, a longtime friend. According to Hoffman's 2019 statement, he was told Epstein had cleared MIT's vetting process before participating in fundraising meetings. Internal MIT records show that when Bill Gates made a $2 million donation to the Media Lab in 2014, the gift was described as coming "at the recommendation of a friend of his who wishes to remain anonymous", with Ronan Farrow reporting in the New Yorker that Epstein was credited with securing the Gates money. Recode reported in January 2020 that "Hoffman helped raise money for the Media Lab, which involved fundraising solicitation meetings with the sex offender". The MIT Goodwin Procter report documented that Epstein's total donations to MIT amounted to $850,000: a $100,000 gift in 2002 to Marvin Minsky, plus $525,000 to the Media Lab and $225,000 to Seth Lloyd after his 2008 conviction.
The archive reveals that in July 2016, Joi Ito sought advice from Reid Hoffman about whether to allow Epstein to attend a conference with "lots of people" who may "see him and maybe know he's involved". The MIT report did not disclose what Hoffman actually advised. According to the same report, Hoffman publicly stated he "vouched for Epstein because Ito told him Epstein had cleared MIT's vetting process".
After Epstein's death and public scrutiny of MIT's relationship with the financier, Hoffman told Axios that he "deeply regretted" his interactions with Epstein, acknowledging he had helped rehabilitate the sex offender's reputation. However, Recode reported in January 2020 that "as recently as last August [2019], Hoffman was standing up strongly for Ito and his handling of the Epstein situation", noting that "it took Hoffman until Farrow's story in September to apologize". The Wall Street Journal reported in September 2023 that Hoffman visited Epstein's private island in 2014. In February 2026, responding to newly released documents, Hoffman disclosed six additional meetings with Epstein between 2016 and 2018 beyond those he had previously acknowledged.
Correspondence with Epstein#
The archive documents sustained contact between Hoffman and Epstein from July 2013 through March 2019. Their earliest documented exchanges concerned coordinating island visits and joint meetings with Ito. In September 2013, Hoffman wrote asking "when will you be @ your island? Chatting with Joi about setting up a joint visit". Epstein replied indicating availability "anytime after oct 15". By October 2013, Hoffman inquired "Hope you're well... Island?" when discussing future meetings.
Much of their correspondence focused on scheduling calls and meetings. Between 2013 and 2016, they arranged multiple Skype calls and in-person meetings coordinated through their assistants Saida Sapieva (Hoffman's EA) and Lesley Groff (Epstein's assistant). In March 2018, Hoffman wrote about Bill Gates, noting "Seeing Bill for two days next week" and proposing a March 24 meeting with Epstein. Epstein responded "ok, im in". After a meeting with Steve Bannon and Larry Summers, Epstein wrote to Hoffman in March 2018: "had fun with bannon and summers. ask joi for his view". Hoffman replied "Will do. ☺", confirming he would consult with Ito about the meeting.
The correspondence reveals intellectual exchanges beyond fundraising. Epstein discussed Martin Nowak with Hoffman, writing "martin novak . liked your interaction, hes really fun" in September 2018. In August 2016, Epstein outlined to Hoffman and Ito a plan for "Challenges for Chomsky ie the Chomsky challenge, Novak, church, hillis. etc." where he would fund scientists to "pick 5 tough but solvable questions" to advance their respective fields. Epstein wrote he intended "to do 10 challenges a year".
In September 2015, Epstein invited Hoffman to "come to island , ranch , lets play". In February 2017, Epstein invited Hoffman to New Mexico, writing "Having lunch with chomsky on sunday you are always welcome". Business opportunities also arose in correspondence; in October 2016, Epstein mentioned that "bill hellman said he was introducing by close friend leon black to the greylock partners you?". No response from Hoffman was documented in the archive.
In May 2018, Hoffman wrote to Epstein about a potential investment in Joi Ito's Neoteny 4 venture fund: "J, Finally caught up with Joi – been running around doing my usual many projects. Joi says that you're on the fence around investing in the fund – worth scheduling a skype call for that? OK if no.". Epstein replied "always can make time for a reid skype. :)". According to investor materials for Neoteny 4, the fund targeted $30-50 million in total capital with a 2% management fee and 20% carry, making equity investments of $2-10 million per deal. The materials stated that "Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, has committed [$5-10 million] as an anchor investor in Neoteny and will lend his expertise and experience to help Neoteny find investors, source deals, diligence investment opportunities and add value to portfolio companies." Hoffman was thus both the anchor investor and actively recruiting Epstein as an additional investor in Ito's fund.
In June 2018, Epstein attempted to recruit another investor for the same fund. He wrote to Nicole Junkermann: "joi ito . the head of mit media lab. has put togetehr a fund with reid hoffman , and a bunch of the silicon valley guys. min 5m - I dont invest with friends. . too complicated. but im considdreeing asking joi for you. . it is the cutting edge of tech, .and the inside players." Junkermann replied "Thank you for thinking of me pls do!", and when Epstein followed up asking "would you like me to give him your email?", she confirmed "Yes pls". This exchange demonstrates Epstein was actively serving as an intermediary and fundraiser for the Hoffman-Ito investment vehicle, soliciting high-net-worth individuals at the $5 million minimum investment level.
The two maintained contact through 2018, with brief exchanges while Hoffman traveled internationally. In February 2019, Hoffman sent Epstein a mass email invitation to the BrainMind Summit scheduled for May 4-5, 2019 at MIT, signed by Hoffman (Chair, BrainMind Advisory Board), Ed Boyden, Joi Ito, Michael McCullough, Laura Roberts, Bo Shao, Juan Enriquez, Tom Kalil, Calvin Nguyen, and Diana Saville. Epstein replied with apparent irony: "thanks, if i come to the west coast. will you have the courage to meet ? :)". No response from Hoffman was documented in the archive. The "courage" comment suggests Epstein sensed Hoffman was distancing but had not formally cut ties, even as the BrainMind invitation indicated Hoffman was still including Epstein in institutional communications just five months before Epstein's July 2019 arrest.
Role in Epstein's Network#
The archive reveals Hoffman played multiple overlapping roles in Epstein's network: as a fundraiser for MIT Media Lab, as an anchor investor recruiting Epstein for venture capital opportunities, as an organizer of elite gatherings that provided Epstein social legitimacy, and as a name Epstein used to impress other contacts.
Reputation Rehabilitation and Elite Access
Hoffman's most significant role was providing Epstein access to the highest levels of Silicon Valley power. Recode reported in January 2020 that Hoffman "even went so far as to bring Epstein out to Palo Alto in 2015 for a dinner with people like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel". This was the August 2, 2015 dinner at Baume Restaurant, organized by Hoffman's assistant Saida Sapieva, who confirmed the team had "bought out the restaurant, so it will just be our group". The subject line of planning emails described it as "Details for Sunday w/Reid Hoffman", framing the event as Hoffman's dinner.
The archive reveals how Epstein leveraged his friendship with Hoffman to impress foreign contacts and other potential connections. On April 12, 2015, Epstein wrote to "Jabor Y." (a contact with apparent connections to Middle Eastern royalty, likely Qatari): "when he is next in calif I can take him to Palo Alto. or seatle to meet the top of the techies, Peter Thiel at Palntier, Hoffman at Linked in.. ( 300 million users and soon to be moving into China India etc. all good friends and as his highness seems to enjoy the best and brightest I think he and you, will enjoy it". On June 27, 2015, Epstein wrote to a Russian contact (Sergei Belyakov): "i will be all the help i can. who is your dream attendees? peter thiel? nathan myrhvold. ? reid hoffman.? i will be in new york monday genve tues", offering Hoffman and Thiel as introduction targets. On August 23, 2015, Epstein wrote to Peter Attia: "you should meet joi ito head of mit media, and reid hoffman head of linked in.. joi is a diver, with a rebreather at the moment. both friends of thiel".
These exchanges reveal the core mechanism of Epstein's reputation rehabilitation: Hoffman's name and access served as social currency that Epstein could spend when cultivating relationships with foreign business contacts, Middle Eastern royalty, Russian businesspeople, and other tech figures. The pattern shows Epstein explicitly positioning Hoffman as one of "the top of the techies" and "all good friends" when pitching meetings to high-value contacts.
Peter Thiel Facilitation
The archive documents Hoffman actively facilitating meetings between Epstein and Peter Thiel. On March 22, 2014, when planning a meeting with Epstein, Hoffman wrote: "perhaps my house. checking with Peter, although seems not to be in town." Epstein had asked "is thiel around? i can meet you at 5 in p a", to which Hoffman replied "i'll think who else might be fun. charlie songhurst would be good, but he's in NYC this weekend". This exchange shows Hoffman offering to host Epstein and Thiel at his personal residence.
Epstein's August 2015 West Coast itinerary reveals the trip was structured around seeing both men: "Reminder: you want to see Devish, Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman while on the West Coast." The schedule showed "TBD Peter Thiel in the afternoon (Palo Alto)" followed by "6:00pm Mark Zuckerberg, Joi Ito and Reid Hoffman, etc. in the evening (Palo Alto)". On June 9, 2014, Epstein's schedule shows a "Dinner with Peter Thiel and Ehud Barak" at Epstein's townhouse, occurring the day after a lunch where "Reid Hoffman might join". In emails to others, Epstein described Hoffman and Thiel as "all good friends" and referred to them as "both friends of thiel" when discussing Hoffman and Ito together.
Connections#
Hoffman's primary connection in Epstein's network was Joi Ito, with whom he shared 363 emails in the archive. As director of the MIT Media Lab, Ito served as the nexus for Hoffman's involvement with Epstein. Their shared correspondence often concerned coordinating meetings with Epstein, travel arrangements, MIT fundraising initiatives, and the Neoteny 4 venture fund. The investor materials for Neoteny 4 formalized Hoffman's role as anchor investor who would "help Neoteny find investors, source deals, diligence investment opportunities and add value to portfolio companies".
Through Epstein, Hoffman connected with other members of the network including Larry Summers (22 shared emails), Danny Hillis (17 shared emails), and Martin A. Nowak (11 shared emails). Hoffman appeared on group emails with these individuals discussing technology, cybersecurity, and scientific topics. In September 2016, Vincenzo Iozzo sent Hoffman, Epstein, Ito, and Hillis an article on "internet infrastructure attack" and separately shared thoughts on "Assange on how to defeat an organization" with Hoffman, Epstein, and Joshua Cooper Ramo. A December 4, 2014 schedule shows "11:00am Appt w/Kelly Shortridge and Vincenzo Lozzo" at Epstein's townhouse on the same day Hoffman arrived to spend the night, placing Iozzo and Hoffman in proximity at the residence.
Joshua Cooper Ramo appeared in Epstein's network as a partner at Kissinger Associates specializing in China. On September 28, 2013, Epstein introduced David Stern to Ramo, writing "you two should meet. david is prince andrews china person-- great friend. josh is a partner in kissinger asst. china . you both speak chinese. david is german jewish, josh in newmexic jewish". A September 24, 2013 schedule shows "6:30am Breakfast w/Josh Ramo and Ehud Barak" at Epstein's residence. February 2016 emails show Ramo meeting with Epstein at 71st Street, and an August 19, 2015 record documents Ramo traveling with Epstein from New Mexico to Newark.
Hoffman's role in the network included facilitating connections for Epstein with figures in finance. The archive documents multiple meetings between Epstein and Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, occurring in close proximity to Hoffman's visits. In the week of December 1-5, 2014, Epstein's schedule shows meetings with Black on December 1 (6pm drinks), December 2 (5pm), and December 4 (10:30am) — the same period when Hoffman stayed overnight at the townhouse and attended the Gates breakfast. The concentration of Black meetings during Hoffman's visit suggests a coordinated series of engagements at Epstein's residence.
Bill Gates Connection#
The archive documents multiple intersections between Hoffman, Epstein, and Bill Gates. Hoffman served as a nexus between the two men. The most significant previously undisclosed meeting occurred on December 5, 2014, when Hoffman attended a breakfast at Epstein's townhouse (9 East 71st Street) with Bill Gates, Josh Harris (Apollo Global Management co-founder), and Ron Baron (billionaire investor). The breakfast ran from 8-10am and was described in planning emails as a "VERY important Breakfast for Jeffrey".
Hoffman had arrived at Epstein's residence the previous evening, December 4, 2014. A planning email confirmed "Reid Hoffman to arrive Meridian Teterboro via Jet Suite" and that "Reid will spend the night at 71st". The next morning's schedule showed "Take Reid to Teterboro Tomorrow" with departure "Reid must depart by 11:00 AM" immediately after the breakfast concluded. A preparation email from Epstein's assistant stated: "The breakfast this friday will be from 8-10am at Jeffrey's home, 9 East 71st Street... Right now guests include Josh, Jeffrey, Ron Baron and Bill Gates...it is possible Reid Hoffman attends as well".
This breakfast occurred just five days after Hoffman's return from Epstein's island (November 28-30, 2014). The tight scheduling points to intense engagement with Epstein's network during this period. The presence of Josh Harris and Ron Baron — both major figures in private equity and investment — alongside Gates and Hoffman suggests the meeting concerned high-level financial or philanthropic matters.
The relationship between Hoffman, Gates, and Epstein continued into 2018. On March 17, 2018, Hoffman wrote to Epstein: "Seeing Bill for two days next week. Scheduling... 3/24 (sat) 10:15am PT for 60-90 min? (It's just after my next catch up with Joi.)" Epstein replied "ok, im in". This exchange shows Hoffman proactively scheduling a meeting with Epstein immediately after seeing Gates, and explicitly noting the sequence: Gates meeting, then Ito meeting, then Epstein meeting. The timing suggests Hoffman may have been coordinating information or plans across all three men.
The archive also places Gates and Hoffman in proximity during other Epstein network events. A September 20, 2013 schedule shows Epstein hosting a dinner with "Bill & Melinda Gates" that same evening, with Larry Summers and others attending. The schedule for September 25, 2013 shows a "4:15pm EST (1:15 PST) Skype w/Reid Hoffman" around the same general period, though no documented three-way meeting.
These intersections provide important context for media reporting that Gates made a $2 million donation to MIT Media Lab in 2014, with Ronan Farrow reporting that Epstein was credited with securing the Gates money, and MIT records showing the donation came "at the recommendation of a friend of his who wishes to remain anonymous". Given Hoffman's documented role as both anchor investor in Ito's venture fund and active fundraiser for MIT, along with his meetings bridging Gates and Epstein, Hoffman appears to have served as a key intermediary in this network.
Document References#
Hoffman appears in DOJ-released email records documenting his interactions with Epstein over multiple years. A November 2014 email chain from Saida Sapieva, Hoffman's assistant, coordinated logistics for the island trip, including flight arrangements from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach and then to "Jeffrey's island on St. Thomas". The September 2014 planning email from Ito confirmed that Hoffman would travel with Ito from San Francisco to Epstein's island, with Ito writing "I'll be coming from Tokyo and Reid will be in SFO". Another September 2014 email shows Epstein asking "When is Reid free to travel?" as assistants coordinated flight options from San Francisco to the island on November 28 and then to Boston on November 30.
Records document Hoffman's participation in a March 16, 2019 scheduled meeting with Epstein, as shown by a Google Calendar notification for "reid hoffman @ Sat Mar 16, 2019 9am - 10am". Multiple email threads from 2016, 2017, and 2018 show ongoing communications about meetings, business matters, and social invitations. A June 2014 schedule listed a lunch appointment with Joi Ito where "Reid Hoffman might join".
Investor materials for Neoteny 4 detail the fund structure, Hoffman's anchor investment of $5-10 million, and his role helping to "find investors, source deals, diligence investment opportunities and add value to portfolio companies". News clips from January 2020 contained in the archive include the Recode article reporting Hoffman's role in fundraising for MIT Media Lab and the August 2015 dinner with tech billionaires, as well as coverage of Hoffman defending Ito through August 2019 before apologizing in September.
Visits to Epstein Properties#
Manhattan townhouse: Multiple documented interactions spanning 2013-2019. A June 2014 schedule notes an "11:30-1:00pm LUNCH Appt w/Joi Ito (Reid Hoffman might join)" at Epstein's residence following Epstein's arrival from Little St. James that morning. Most significantly, on December 4-5, 2014, Hoffman spent the night at 71st Street and attended a breakfast the next morning with Bill Gates, Josh Harris, and Ron Baron that was characterized as "VERY important" for Epstein. December 3, 2014 records show "Nicole Junkermann will attend" a Valar Ventures meeting at 2pm, placing her on overlapping schedules with Hoffman at Epstein's residence during this period.
Little St. James island: One confirmed visit November 28-30, 2014. Planning began in September 2014 when Ito wrote to Epstein and Hoffman: "We're wondering if we could visit you on the island arriving Friday night the 28th or Sat morning the 29th of November leaving Sunday the 30th of Nov". The visit was coordinated through assistants, with detailed flight logistics arranged for Hoffman traveling from San Francisco and Ito from Tokyo. Both would "meet in SFO or in MIA" before traveling to the island. The November 24, 2014 coordination email confirmed Jeffrey would "fly and Reid to his island on St. Thomas Nov. 28th evening" with return to Boston on November 30. Earlier exchanges show Hoffman repeatedly inquiring about island availability, including September 2013 and October 2013 discussions. A December 2014 schedule shows "Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)" just days after Hoffman's departure, and December 20 listed "Peggy, Barnaby, Musk, Danny" suggesting Elon Musk may have been invited or expected at the island within a week of Hoffman's visit.
Palm Beach residence: One documented visit. The November 28, 2014 trip itinerary shows Hoffman arriving at Fort Lauderdale airport and being transported to "Jeffrey's PB home address" at 358 El Brillo Way before the evening flight to the island.
New Mexico ranch: Invited but no documented visit. In September 2015, Epstein wrote "come to island , ranch , lets play". In February 2017, Epstein extended another invitation, noting "I'm in Santa fe" and inviting Hoffman to join lunch with Noam Chomsky. Hoffman has publicly stated he "did not go to the ranch".
Paris apartment: No visits documented in archive.
Other events: Hoffman hosted or coordinated multiple events where Epstein was present. On August 2, 2015, Hoffman's assistant Saida Sapieva organized a dinner at Baume Restaurant in Palo Alto where Epstein joined Hoffman, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Joi Ito, MIT neuroscientist Ed Boyden, Desiree Dudley, Michelle Yee (Hoffman's partner), and Navaid Farooq. The planning emails show Sapieva initially listed "Jeffrey Epstein" twice on the guest list instead of including Joi Ito, which she corrected with "Ah, replace one with Joi Ito. :)". The restaurant was "bought out" for the private gathering. The event was labeled in email subject lines as "Details for Sunday w/Reid Hoffman", framing it as Hoffman's dinner. A reconfirmation email described the gathering as "dinner with Professor ██████", referring to Ed Boyden and including his biography describing him as "a world-class neuroscientist" whose "work in optogenetics" was groundbreaking, providing the dinner with a scientific framing that may have made it more acceptable to high-profile attendees.
Hoffman served as Chair of the BrainMind Advisory Board, which extended personal invitations to Epstein for neuroscience summits. In July 2018, Hoffman wrote: "We are writing to offer you a private non-transferable invitation to join the BrainMind ecosystem" for events at Stanford (September 2018) and MIT. The August 2018 invitation was signed by Hoffman (Chair), Ed Boyden (Co-Founder), Joi Ito, Michael McCullough, Laura Roberts, Juan Enriquez, Bo Shao, and Tom Kalil. The February 2019 BrainMind Summit invitation for May 4-5, 2019 at MIT bore the same institutional signatures, showing Hoffman personally signed invitations to Epstein for prestigious neuroscience convenings just months before Epstein's arrest.