The New York Scientific Ecosystem
While Harvard and MIT received the most documented Epstein donations and have faced the most scrutiny, Epstein also cultivated relationships with New York-based research institutions.
NYU Connections
Epstein had contact with NYU-affiliated researchers and departments. The ,000 gift to NYU Medical School connected through his relationship with Mort Zuckerman was one documented touchpoint.
Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University, which focuses on biomedical research with a small elite graduate program, was part of Epstein’s scientific social world. Researchers there moved in the same New York scientific philanthropy circles that Epstein cultivated.
The Function of Geographic Diversity
By spreading relationships across multiple institutions in multiple cities, Epstein created a network that was difficult to map from any single institutional vantage point. Each institution saw one manageable donor; the aggregate picture was only visible to investigators after his arrest.