Former CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, contemplated paying Donald Trump $5 billion to deter him from running for U.S. presidency, according to a new book by Michael Lewis.
As per an article on Cointelegraph, Lewis unveiled the information during an interview on 60 Minutes on Saturday, October 1. The revelation is part of Lewis’s book, “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon”, which narrates the ascent and descent of the former crypto billionaire.
“That only shocks you if you don’t know Sam,” Lewis said, referring to the $5 billion figure. He added that Bankman-Fried was uncertain if the figure originated from Trump himself.
Lewis also mentioned that Bankman-Fried was examining the legality of his intended offer, stating “they were still having these conversations when FTX blew up.”
However, Bankman-Fried’s plan never materialized as he no longer possessed the $5 billion. Lewis, who spent over 70 days with Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas, stated that Bankman-Fried viewed Trump as a potential threat to U.S. democracy.
The highly publicized trial of Bankman-Fried, involving seven fraud cases, is set to commence on October 3, with jury selection.