FTX founder mulled giving Trump $5B not to run for president, says author

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried erstwhile looked into paying Donald Trump not to tally for United States president, according to Michael Lewis, the writer of a caller publication documenting the emergence and autumn of SBF.

Michael Lewis, writer of “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon,” spoke astir the erstwhile crypto billionaire and FTX laminitis successful a 60 Minutes interview on Oct. 1.

One of the revelations successful the publication is that SBF looked into paying Donald Trump not to tally for president. “That lone shocks you if you don’t cognize Sam,” said Lewis earlier adding:

“Sam’s reasoning that we could wage Donald Trump not to tally for president [...] similar however overmuch would it take?”

“The fig that was kicking astir was $5 billion,” helium added earlier saying that SBF was unsure if that fig came straight from Donald Trump.

SBF was besides looking into the legality of it, according to Lewis, who added that “they were inactive having these conversations erstwhile FTX blew up.”

It conscionable didn’t hap due to the fact that Bankman-Fried didn’t person the $5 cardinal immoderate longer, helium add

— Brad Michelson (@BradMichelson) October 2, 2023

According to Lewis, SBF saw Trump arsenic trying to undermine ideology successful the United States, reasoning helium “belongs connected the database of existential risks.”

Lewis spent much than 70 days successful the Bahamas connected a twelve antithetic trips to sojourn SBF successful 2022 and the brace became close. “I would enactment successful spare bedrooms, truthful I had codes to each country including the penthouse,” helium told the WSJ.

Speaking connected the fallout pursuing the illness of FTX successful November 2022, helium said:

“It was similar the aftermath of Pompeii. Clothes and belongings near behind, frozen successful time. Many headed to the airdrome leaving institution cars with the keys wrong astatine the curb.”

Cointelegraph contacted ineligible representatives for Sam Bankman-Fried and Donald Trump. Mark Botnik, who handles communications for the SBF case, said determination was nary remark from his ineligible team.

Related: How agelong could Sam Bankman-Fried spell to jailhouse for? Crypto lawyers measurement in

According to the proceedings docket calendar released past week, the high-profile Sam Bankman-Fried proceedings begins connected Oct. 3 with assemblage selection. The proceedings begins connected Oct. 4.

The proceedings volition impact 7 fraud cases against SBF, 2 substantive charges wherever the prosecution indispensable person the assemblage that Bankman-Fried committed the crime, and 5 different conspiracy charges.

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