New revelations about Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the disgraced founder and former CEO of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, are coming to light as his trial quickly approaches. This time it has been reported that he considered paying former U.S. President Donald Trump not to run for president.
In an interview with CBS News 60 Minutes, Michael Lewis, author of the book ‘Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon’, a new book documenting SBF’s crypto journey, stated that the FTX founder contemplated paying Trump $5 billion to refrain from running for president because he believed the politician posed a threat to democracy.
SBF Considered Paying Trump Not to Run for President
Lewis revealed that SBF wanted to assist Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate, in funding Republican candidates who were in conflict with Trump. The plan was to donate millions of dollars to select politicians whom McConnell deemed suitable to govern the U.S.
After a certain meeting with McConnell, SBF donated tens of millions to support Republican candidates, most of whom the current management of FTX is now trying to recover funds from. The former CEO also planned to donate more during the upcoming U.S. elections in 2024.
