Tainted Funds, Reputational Risk: How Epstein Shaped College Fundraising

Elite universities welcomed Jeffrey Epstein’s money to fund labs and budgets, even as questions about his motives and ethics lingered; after Epstein’s 2008 conviction and 2019 death, schools faced reputational fallout, with some donors and campuses distancing themselves and debates intensifying about how private gifts shape academia. The piece underscores how reliance on philanthropy—often accepted at lower administrative levels—can expose institutions to tainted-money risks and prompts calls for stronger donor screening and governance.