American philosopher and cognitive scientist, Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, and author of Consciousness Explained and Darwin's Dangerous Idea. In 2002, Dennett flew to a TED conference on Epstein's private jet alongside Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, and literary agent John Brockman. Dennett stated he ‘was offered a ride to TED in the plane of a wealthy science philanthropist of whom I had never heard’ and that he is ‘not clairvoyant.’ The connection was primarily through Brockman's Edge Foundation, which received $638,000 from Epstein-linked foundations between 2001-2017.
Dennett died in 2024 and was never accused of wrongdoing.