SBF Pondered Offering Billions to Deter Trump from Presidential Race: Michael Lewis

Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) reportedly contemplated the idea of offering billions of dollars to Donald Trump. This was to persuade him to withdraw from the presidential race.

In an interview, Michael Lewis reveals that the conversation was taking place as FTX was nearing a collapse, so he no longer had the spare billions to give to the one-time president.

SBF Receives Answer As To What Trump’s Price Would Be

Michael Lewis, in an interview preceding the release of his book “Going Infinite” on SBF, disclosed that he dedicated over 100 hours to spend with the former crypto exchange CEO.

Lewis asserted that Bankman-Fried believed Trump posed a threat to democracy:

“He saw Trump trying to undermine the democracy, and he thought, “Trump is– belongs on the list of existential risks.”

Lewis clarified that the discussions were underway, and SBF even received a response regarding the amount it would require for Trump to withdraw from the presidential race.

“He got one answer, yes. The question Sam had was not just, “Is $5 billion enough to pay Trump not to run,” but “Was it legal?”

Michael Lewis being interviewed on Television Series 60 Minutes. Source: CBS

SBF’s Political Donations Under Scrutiny

Lewis clarifies that the reason it didn’t occur was due to FTX being on the brink of collapse. He added that SBF no longer had the $5 billion to allocate.

SBF’s political donations have become a major talking point amid the ongoing fraud trial speculations.

In 2020, Bankman-Fried donated $5.2 million to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

On top of this, he donated another $40 million to other Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterm election.

SBF is scheduled to appear in court this week as his trial kicks off on October 3. He has been in jail since August 11.

In recent months, both SBF and his legal team have repeatedly petitioned the court for his temporary release, aiming to enhance his trial preparation. However, these requests have all been denied.

Meanwhile, SBF has voiced grievances about the quality of prison food, claiming that he is surviving on a diet primarily consisting of “bread and water.”