Los Angeles, CA – Bryan Johnson, the founder of neurotechnology company Kernel, has publicly addressed his past encounter with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, detailing a brief Zoom call from approximately eight years ago that left him feeling "sick to my stomach." Johnson's statements, made via social media in early 2026, emerged as his name appeared in newly released files related to Epstein.
Johnson, known for his work in brain-interface technology, explained that a mutual contact introduced him to Epstein while he was establishing Kernel. "8 years ago I met Epstein via zoom. A mutual contact put us in touch as I was building my brain interface company Kernel and he had supposedly done some neuroscience stuff at MIT," Johnson stated in his posts. He clarified that the interaction lasted only about ten minutes.
Following the brief video call, Johnson immediately contacted the person who made the introduction, expressing his strong negative reaction. "After a ten minute video call I immediately called the person who put us in contact and told him that Epstein seemed like a very dark person. I felt sick to my stomach. I also told him that I never wanted to speak to him again," he recounted. Johnson emphasized that at the time, he was largely unaware of Epstein's criminal history.
The neurotech entrepreneur described his aversion as intuitive. "I remember this so clearly because I knew nothing about him but weirdly, intuitively, something was deeply wrong. Being in his proximity felt dangerous," Johnson added, confirming he never interacted with Epstein again. He later learned of Epstein's "f***** up past" years after their single encounter.
Johnson's public clarification comes amidst social media scrutiny and questions regarding his appearance in the Epstein files, with some users accusing him of dishonesty. He responded to these queries, asserting that an offered in-person meeting never materialized and that the Zoom call was their sole interaction. This incident highlights the challenges public figures face as historical connections surface in ongoing investigations.
