I think people still could have still realised that if you get into a social circle involving many billionaires, you are getting into a shitty circle. This guy sort of tried to act as saint patron of science by handing out influential scientists favours. I think that was just PR and may have probably delayed his actual demise (i.e “a guy loved by many famous scientists and artists around the world, surely he can’t be bad”). Granted definitely not as bad as going to a place where you know there is sex trafficking. But still this looks like people not being able to contain themselves when someone promises to make them a member of an exclusice elite boy’s club.