Michael Lewis Alleges Bankman-Fried Considered $5 Billion Offer to Trump Not to Seek Presidency

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-defunct crypto platform FTX, contemplated offering Donald Trump a sum of $5 billion to abstain from running for president, as stated by author Michael Lewis.

In a recent CBS interview that was broadcasted on Sunday, Lewis, renowned for his books “The Big Short” and “Flash Boys,” disclosed, “So he did get an answer… There was a number that was kicking around. And the number that was kicking around when I was talking to Sam about this was $5 billion.”

Lewis further mentioned that Bankman-Fried was deliberating the legality of such an action. “The question Sam had was not just, ‘Is $5 billion enough to pay Trump not to run,’ but ‘Was it legal?’” he elaborated.

When approached for a response, Mark Botnick, a representative for Bankman-Fried, chose not to comment on the matter.

Before the downfall of FTX, Bankman-Fried was known for his political contributions. It’s reported that federal investigators have examined his financial donations to politicians across both major parties.

With his trial scheduled to commence on Tuesday, Bankman-Fried could potentially face a prison term exceeding 100 years if found guilty of multiple charges, including fraud.