Dan Ariely and the Epstein Files

College Matters from The Chronicle · May 20, 2026 · 50m

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Dan Ariely has made a career of examining the dark side of humanity. As a social scientist and a Duke University professor, he has drawn attention — and some criticism — for his research into subjects like lying, cheating, and criminality. Of late, though, it’s Ariely’s long-running email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, the notorious sex offender who died in 2019, that’s drawing interest and scrutiny. What did Ariely want from…