He Researched Dishonesty. He Got Friendly With Jeffrey Epstein.

Dan Ariely, a behavioral scientist at Duke, corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein over many years while researching dishonesty. In March 2011 he emailed Epstein results from a survey about forgiveness, noting, "Crimes related to sex do worse than anything else (even murder)." The Justice Department files show Ariely repeatedly sought conversations about moral boundaries and decision-making, and he has said ideas from such talks found their way into a book and a documentary.

Over time the exchanges shifted from academic queries to warmer, more personal notes and requests. Ariely asked Epstein for introductions — including to Bernie Madoff and to creative CEOs — pressed for contacts to advance research, and sought backing for a film and a consulting venture.

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