Former FTX CEO Sam "SBF" Bankman-Fried reportedly contemplated paying Donald Trump to refrain from running for the U.S. presidency. This revelation comes from Michael Lewis, the author of "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of the New Tycoons," during an interview with 60 Minutes on October 1.
In the book, Lewis delves into Bankman-Fried's world, shedding light on this peculiar idea. Lewis mentioned, "Sam thinks we could pay Donald Trump not to run for president... how much would it cost?" He further explained that there were discussions about a figure of $5 billion circulating at the time, although it was unclear whether this number came directly from Trump. Bankman-Fried was also apparently considering the legality of such a move. However, this plan never materialized because Bankman-Fried no longer had access to the required $5 billion.
According to Lewis, Bankman-Fried was deeply concerned about Trump's efforts to undermine American democracy and considered him a significant risk. The relationship between Bankman-Fried and Lewis became close as the author spent over 70 days in the Bahamas in 2022, visiting SBF multiple times.
Regarding the aftermath of the FTX collapse in November 2022, Lewis likened it to the scene of Pompeii, with many individuals abandoning their company cars and keys by the roadside as they rushed to the airport. The highly publicized Bankman-Fried trial, featuring seven fraud charges, two substantive charges, and five conspiracy charges, commenced with jury selection on October 3. The trial itself started on October 4.
