4chan’s creator says ‘Epstein had nothing to do’ with creating infamous far-right board /pol/

Feb 14, 2026 04:01 AM - 4 months ago 97839

Richard Lawler

is a elder editor pursuing news crossed tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge successful 2021 aft respective years covering news astatine Engadget.

The adjacent timing of Jeffrey Epstein coming into interaction pinch 4chan laminitis Chris ‘moot’ Poole and the motorboat of the “politically incorrect” connection committee /pol/ that became a breeding crushed for QAnon and the achromatic supremacist alt-right activity was coincidental, says Poole. In a connection fixed to The Verge, Pool writes, “The determination to adhd the committee was made weeks beforehand, and the committee was added almost 24 hours anterior to a first, chance brushwood astatine a societal event.”

Speculation astir the timing arose aft emails recovered successful the millions of documents released by the Department of Justice showed Epstein and task capitalist Boris Nikolic discussing a gathering betwixt Epstein and moot successful 2011, arsenic good arsenic grounded attempts to meet later.

But according to moot himself, Epstein had thing to do pinch what happened connected the site:

Epstein had thing to do pinch the reintroduction of a authorities committee to 4chan, nor thing other related to the site. The determination to adhd the committee was made weeks beforehand, and the committee was added almost 24 hours anterior to a first, chance brushwood astatine a societal event. His adjunct reached retired to maine afterward, and I met pinch him 1 clip for an unmemorable luncheon meeting. This happened astatine a clip erstwhile I was gathering hundreds of group a period while speaking and networking astatine tech events.

I did not meet him again nor support contact. I regret having ever encountered him astatine all, and person heavy sympathy for each of his victims.

As we reported on Thursday, while their interaction whitethorn person been brief, Epstein’s power continued to intersect pinch 4chan and the civilization it helped produce, done his ongoing relationship to erstwhile Trump advisor and Breitbart main Steve Bannon’s efforts to elite Trump and level far-right figures.

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