"Going Infinite" author spills the beans on SBF's plan to sideline Trump with billions.
Michael Lewis, author of "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon," made the startling revelation that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried had once considered paying Donald Trump $5 billion to abstain from running for the United States presidency.
On October 1st, Michael Lewis spoke about the life of the former crypto billionaire and founder of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, commonly referred to as SBF, in a 60 Minutes interview.
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Lewis had developed a close relationship with SBF while spending over 70 days in the Bahamas on multiple trips throughout 2022. The man previously told The Wall Street Journal that:
I would stay in spare bedrooms, so I had codes to every room, including the penthouse.
One of the most shocking claims Lewis made in the interview was about SBF's consideration to pay Donald Trump a massive sum of $5 billion to prevent him from running for the US presidency.
That only shocks you if you don’t know Sam. Sam’s thinking that we could pay Donald Trump not to run for president <...> like how much would it take? The number that was kicking around was $5 billion.
SBF also examined the legal implications of such an offer, claiming that "they were still having these conversations when FTX blew up."
The author described the atmosphere after the collapse of FTX in November 2022 as akin to "the aftermath of Pompeii," with personal belongings left in place as employees scrambled to leave. Many deserted company cars at the airport, leaving keys inside.
Michael Lewis also touched upon the upcoming trial involving Bankman-Fried. The trial is slated to start on October 3rd, beginning with jury selection. The following day will see the start of court proceedings. SBF is facing seven fraud-related charges, including two substantive charges and five conspiracy charges.
As the high-profile trial of Sam Bankman-Fried looms, new details about his life continue to emerge, including the astonishing revelation that he once considered paying a substantial sum to deter Donald Trump from running for president. While representatives for both parties declined to comment, the unfolding story promises to be a focal point in the crypto world and beyond.
