Email exchanges released in files by the US Department of Justice show that Epstein contacted Sheldrake about supporting scientific research into fungi. At the time, Epstein had already served a jail sentence for sex offences and was known to fund various academic projects.
Sheldrake, 39, author of the acclaimed book Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures, said he had a single phone call and an email exchange with Epstein regarding a potential research project involving fungal electrical networks.
In one email, Sheldrake described the proposal as an “exciting offer” and asked Epstein whether he was “serious about those 100Gs”, an apparent reference to $100,000 in funding. Epstein reportedly replied that he was serious. However, this appears to have been their final exchange.
In a statement, Sheldrake said: “In 2018, Epstein contacted me by email about scientific research funding. I had a single phone call with him and an email exchange in which Epstein offered funding. After researching Epstein’s background, I broke off all contact with him. I did not receive any funding from Epstein and never met him in person.”
He added that he was “sickened by the pain and suffering Epstein has caused” and expressed sympathy for the victims.
Sheldrake, who holds a PhD in tropical ecology from the University of Cambridge, gained international recognition after Entangled Life became a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and won the Royal Society Science Book Prize in 2021. His research focuses on mycorrhizal fungi and underground fungal networks that connect ecosystems.
Epstein had initially contacted Sheldrake’s father, Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist and author, who introduced the two via email in 2018. Rupert Sheldrake said he had been introduced to Epstein several years earlier as a philanthropist supporting scientific research and claimed he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal background at the time.
Rupert Sheldrake said: “Regrettably, I did not research his background and was unaware of his crimes and ongoing allegations.” He confirmed that neither he nor his son received any funding from Epstein and that all contact ceased once they became aware of his history.
The disclosures once again highlight Epstein’s extensive outreach to academics and researchers in the years following his initial conviction, as he sought involvement in a range of scientific initiatives.
