Behind the Bastards

Part Four: How Jeffrey Epstein Helped Build the Modern World

70 snips
Feb 26, 2026
A deep dive into how the Ferguson protests shifted elite thinking and pushed a wealthy network toward race science and reactionary politics. Explores dinners, networks and media ties that normalized provocative ideas. Tracks funding streams aimed at seeding anti-trans and pseudoscientific research into policy and newsrooms.
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INSIGHT

Ferguson Fueled Epstein's Shift Toward Race Science

  • Ferguson radicalized many wealthy tech and finance figures, including Jeffrey Epstein, by triggering fear of race riots and social unrest.
  • Epstein quickly pivoted to funding white‑nationalist content and race‑science projects after the 2014 Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson.
INSIGHT

Epstein Tried To Mainstream Scientific Racism

  • Epstein tried to recruit intellectuals like Noam Chomsky into legitimizing scientific racism by framing it as looking at 'data' and debating uncomfortable facts.
  • Chomsky pushed back, but Epstein persisted and treated collaborators as instruments to normalize racist ideas.
ANECDOTE

Edge Foundation Dinners Hooked Intellectuals To Epstein

  • John Brockman used the Edge Foundation and billionaire dinners to connect Epstein with leading academics and tech billionaires.
  • Brockman bragged Epstein funded Edge and even invited Prince Andrew and young assistants to those salons to entice guests.
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