4chan’s founder claims ‘Epstein was not involved’ in the creation of the notorious far-right board /pol/

The coincidental timing of Jeffrey Epstein interacting with 4chan creator Chris ‘moot’ Poole and the inception of the “politically incorrect” message board /pol/, which evolved into a hotbed for QAnon and the white supremacist alt-right movement, is denied by Poole. He states to The Verge, “The choice to introduce the board was made weeks prior, and it was implemented nearly 24 hours before a first, serendipitous meeting at a social gathering.”

Curiosity about the timing grew following the discovery of emails within the extensive documents released by the Department of Justice, wherein Epstein and venture capitalist Boris Nikolic discussed a proposed meeting between Epstein and moot in 2011, coupled with subsequent unsuccessful attempts to connect.

However, moot contends that Epstein had no part in the events on the platform:

Epstein was not connected to the revival of a political board on 4chan, nor to any other matters concerning the platform. The choice to add the board was made weeks before, and it was added nearly 24 hours ahead of a first, chance meeting at a social function. His assistant contacted me afterward, and I had one meeting with him for an uninspiring lunch. This occurred when I was meeting countless individuals monthly while attending tech events.

I did not meet him again nor keep in touch. I regret ever having met him, and I feel deep sympathy for all his victims.

As we reported on Thursday, although their interaction was fleeting, Epstein’s impact remained intertwined with 4chan and the culture it fostered, through his persistent ties to former Trump advisor and Breitbart chief Steve Bannon’s endeavors to elect Trump and promote far-right figures.