Jeffrey Epstein Backed AI Researcher Ben Goertzel in Securing Hong Kong Public Funding
Emails reveal financial support helped meet sponsorship requirements for government grants totaling nearly nine million Hong Kong dollars
Jeffrey Epstein provided financial support to artificial intelligence researcher Ben Goertzel and helped him secure at least HK$8.9 million in grants from the Hong Kong government, according to newly examined correspondence and reporting published this week.
Emails released by the United States Department of Justice show that Epstein pledged at least $113,000 over five years to support Goertzel’s open-source artificial intelligence initiatives.
The funding enabled Goertzel’s company to satisfy eligibility requirements necessary to obtain public research backing in Hong Kong.
Goertzel, an American computer scientist known for advocating artificial general intelligence, worked in Hong Kong during the 2010s as chief scientist at Hanson Robotics, the firm behind the humanoid robot Sophia.
During that period, he was also involved in research collaborations at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
He later returned to the United States while retaining permanent resident status in Hong Kong.
The association between Goertzel and Epstein reportedly dates back to 2001, when Epstein funded a research fellowship connected to Goertzel’s work.
Between 2010 and 2015, at least $113,000 was routed through the US-based nonprofit Humanity+ and transferred onward to Novamente, a company owned by Goertzel.
Novamente subsequently acted as the designated “industry sponsor” for projects applying to Hong Kong’s Innovation and Technology Fund.
Under the rules of that fund, applicants must secure at least ten percent of total project costs from industry sponsors to qualify for government support, with the remaining balance financed through public funds.
Three projects at Hong Kong Polytechnic University supported by Novamente received a combined HK$8.9 million between 2010 and 2016.
Correspondence cited in the report shows Goertzel repeatedly sought Epstein’s assistance to meet sponsorship thresholds.
In a 2011 message, Goertzel asked whether Epstein would contribute an additional $10,000, writing that he could not personally afford the amount at the time.
In 2015, amid renewed public scrutiny of Epstein’s criminal conduct, Goertzel requested a further $25,000.
An assistant initially indicated that funding would be suspended due to “the current environment,” but Epstein later authorized the transfer.
Communication between the two men continued until at least 2018, roughly a year before Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.
He died in jail in 2019.
In remarks addressing the revelations, Goertzel expressed regret over the relationship.
He stated that he regretted knowing Epstein, accepting his money, or having any association with him.
He added that the difficulty of securing funding for research in artificial general intelligence at the time had influenced his decisions, noting that support for such work was extremely limited and that declining available funding was challenging when resources were scarce.
Emails released by the United States Department of Justice show that Epstein pledged at least $113,000 over five years to support Goertzel’s open-source artificial intelligence initiatives.
The funding enabled Goertzel’s company to satisfy eligibility requirements necessary to obtain public research backing in Hong Kong.
Goertzel, an American computer scientist known for advocating artificial general intelligence, worked in Hong Kong during the 2010s as chief scientist at Hanson Robotics, the firm behind the humanoid robot Sophia.
During that period, he was also involved in research collaborations at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
He later returned to the United States while retaining permanent resident status in Hong Kong.
The association between Goertzel and Epstein reportedly dates back to 2001, when Epstein funded a research fellowship connected to Goertzel’s work.
Between 2010 and 2015, at least $113,000 was routed through the US-based nonprofit Humanity+ and transferred onward to Novamente, a company owned by Goertzel.
Novamente subsequently acted as the designated “industry sponsor” for projects applying to Hong Kong’s Innovation and Technology Fund.
Under the rules of that fund, applicants must secure at least ten percent of total project costs from industry sponsors to qualify for government support, with the remaining balance financed through public funds.
Three projects at Hong Kong Polytechnic University supported by Novamente received a combined HK$8.9 million between 2010 and 2016.
Correspondence cited in the report shows Goertzel repeatedly sought Epstein’s assistance to meet sponsorship thresholds.
In a 2011 message, Goertzel asked whether Epstein would contribute an additional $10,000, writing that he could not personally afford the amount at the time.
In 2015, amid renewed public scrutiny of Epstein’s criminal conduct, Goertzel requested a further $25,000.
An assistant initially indicated that funding would be suspended due to “the current environment,” but Epstein later authorized the transfer.
Communication between the two men continued until at least 2018, roughly a year before Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.
He died in jail in 2019.
In remarks addressing the revelations, Goertzel expressed regret over the relationship.
He stated that he regretted knowing Epstein, accepting his money, or having any association with him.
He added that the difficulty of securing funding for research in artificial general intelligence at the time had influenced his decisions, noting that support for such work was extremely limited and that declining available funding was challenging when resources were scarce.
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