According to Big Short author Michael Lewis, the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried considered offering Donald Trump a whopping $5 billion to prevent him from seeking the presidency of the United States in 2024. Lewis revealed Sam Bankman-Fried’s consideration of this bold suggestion during an interview with 60 Minutes on October 1, where the man quite expressly claimed that SBF wanted to pay $5 billion to Donald Trump to dissuade him from becoming President again.
However, because Bankman-Fried lacked the necessary $5 billion, the plan was never implemented. Lewis disclosed that SBF had looked into the offer’s legality as well as its financial viability, which were both untenable to an equal extent. He clarified Bankman-Fried’s viewpoint by stating that SBF regarded Trump’s possible candidacy as a danger to American democracy and designated him as an “existential risk.” This observation was made because SBF was a major donor to Republicans as well as Democrats, giving millions to both parties.
How is Michael Lewis Responding?
The rise and fall of crypto business prodigy Sam Bankman-Fried’s fortunes are chronicled in Michael Lewis’ most recent book, “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon.”
In the context of the assumption that SBF wanted to pay $5 billion to Donald Trump, Lewis compared the aftereffects of the breakdown of FTX in November 2022 to the ruins of Pompeii, with people’s possessions and company property left behind after the disaster. Suffice it to say, the clever analogy has succeeded in amusing as well as convincing many. Furthermore, according to the author-journalist, FTX would still be operating and making money even if there wasn’t a rush on cryptocurrency deposits.
In addition to this startling disclosure about the thought that SBF wanted to pay $5 billion to Donald Trump, Lewis gave details about his close friendship with SBF, revealing that they spent more than 70 days together in the Bahamas throughout numerous trips in 2022, developing a close relationship with him.
Neither Sam Bankman-Fried’s nor Donald Trump’s legal counsels chose to place forth any comment on the potential legal ramifications of these allegations revolving around the word that SBF wanted to pay $5 billion as a strategy to stall him from appearing in the Presidential contest.
A Reminder of SBF’s Trial
Sam Bankman-Fried’s impending high-profile trial is set to begin on October 3 with jury selection and officially begin on October 4 after that. A controversial series of seven cases about the offense of fraudulence against SBF will be the subject of the aforementioned trial, including two substantive instances in which the prosecution must establish Bankman-Fried’s complicated ty, complicated cases complicated Lewis thinks that this situation touching SBF’s public reputation as well as his image inside the courtroom will be worsened now that it is revealed that SBF wanted to pay $5 billion to Donald Trump with such devious intentions. Sam is now standing precariously on the edge of a greater legal precipice following this scandal and will now have slim chances of turning the lawsuit proceedings in his favor.
Lewis described SBF’s character as a ‘social experiment’ with significant financial resources and a desire to give liberally. However, he said, everything happened exactly the antithesis of how SBF had intended.
Michael Lewis has indicated in his statements that Sam Bankman-Fried and Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue and a style icon, were connected unexpectedly, hinting at the probable relationship after talking about how SBF wanted to pay $5 billion to Donald Trump as remuneration for refraining from getting elected as America’s President.
Wintour had exhibited a desire to receive the sponsorship and aid of Bankman-Fried for the renowned Met Gala event. Funnily, Wintour was keen for him despite already knowing about his disruption for dressing very casually everywhere and rarely straying from shorts and a T-shirt.
Also Read: SBF Prefers His Jail Cell Over Penthouse Because of Internet Connection.