Perimeter Institute Pauses Relationship with Physicist Lee Smolin

Lee Smolin, a founding member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario, has agreed to pause his collaboration with the research centre amid scrutiny over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision comes as the institute’s leadership conducts a thorough review of Smolin’s associations.

In a statement issued on September 29, 2023, a spokesperson for the Perimeter Institute confirmed that Smolin will take a temporary leave while the situation is assessed. The statement emphasized that there have been no allegations of wrongdoing against Smolin himself.

Currently, Smolin is engaged with the Perimeter Institute on a part-time basis and is also affiliated with the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto. His expertise lies primarily in theoretical physics, particularly in quantum gravity, although his research interests extend to theoretical biology, philosophy of science, and economics. Notable accolades include being named a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and receiving the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Epstein’s criminal history includes a guilty plea in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute, which resulted in a 13-month sentence. He was arrested again in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking involving minors and died in his jail cell a month later, a death ruled as suicide by hanging.

On November 19, 2025, the U.S. President signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, leading to the release of millions of documents, including emails between Epstein and Smolin. One email exchange dated September 26, 2009, occurred shortly after Epstein’s release from jail, where Smolin expressed interest in meeting up. Epstein responded with an offer to visit Smolin’s family in Florida, to which Smolin responded graciously.

Some emails pertained to Smolin’s academic work, while others discussed personal meetings. A letter dated June 9, 2015, from Epstein’s organization, the J. Epstein Virgin Islands Foundation, Inc., indicated that the foundation was known for funding significant scientific research, including contributions to Smolin’s work.

When questioned by CTV News about his relationship with Epstein, Smolin acknowledged receiving a grant from the Jesse Philips Foundation for his research group between 1997 and 2001. He clarified that he had not received funding from the foundation after relocating to Canada. Notably, CTV News found no links between Epstein and the Jesse Philips Foundation, a philanthropic organization now named the Jesse and Caryl Philips Foundation.

Smolin did not elaborate on the nature of his correspondence with Epstein or address why multiple emails referred to sponsorship by the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation. As the Perimeter Institute continues its review, the academic community watches closely to see how this situation will unfold and what implications it may have for Smolin’s future in the field.