Key insights
- The article suggests a potential link between Jeffrey Epstein and the founding of Kalshi, a prediction market platform, through connections at MIT and Citadel. While the information is speculative, any regulatory scrutiny or reputational damage to Kalshi could indirectly affect market sentiment regarding fintech innovation.
Epstein discussed prediction markets right around the time he became heavily involved at MIT (2014)
- Same year: Kalshi founders enroll at MIT
- emails show meetings with Goertzel, a Brazilian AI founder (chief scientists of Hanson robotics), mentioning MIT at time Lopes (Kalshi founder, from Brazil) was researching at MIT robots lab (link below)
https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02595666.pdf
- around this time, Joscha Bach thanks Epstein for getting into MIT, notes involvement with Tenenbaum, who supervised Kalshi Founder Lara WHILE Lara was founding kalshi in 2019
2016: Epstein discussing Rain contracts and predation markets with Ito (MIT media lab).
- same year Kalshi founded were researchers at MIT
- emails re Citadel and Kathryn Ruemmler, who became GC of Goldman (Tarek interned in 2016)
https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02363419.pdf
2017- Iozzo (same prediction market email above), begins mentioning Citadel market making
https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02665288.pdf
2018- Kalshi founders intern at Citadel
2019- Kalshi founders do YC.
https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01027625