The Shocking Revelation: FTX's Bankman-Fried's $5 Billion Bid to Prevent Trump's Re-Election

In an exclusive interview with CBS, Michael Lewis disclosed that Bankman-Fried was not entirely certain if the $5 billion figure had originated directly from Trump. However, what truly concerned this disgraced crypto entrepreneur was not the colossal sum itself, but rather the legality of such a remarkable move.

"He [SBF] 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?'" remarked Michael Lewis.

According to excerpts from Lewis' upcoming book, "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon," which is set to be released on October 3rd and published by The Washington Post, Bankman-Fried was also contemplating allocating between $15 million to $30 million to influence the outcome of Senate races by supporting candidates less aligned with the Trump ideology. Lewis revealed that SBF and his team had established a clandestine channel of communication with the Trump campaign.

Intriguingly, these discussions persisted even as FTX faced its catastrophic downfall.

"So why didn't it happen? He didn't have $5 billion anymore," Lewis added, shedding light on the abrupt end to this extraordinary endeavor.

The timing of this revelation couldn't be worse for Bankman-Fried, as U.S. Judge Lewis Kaplan recently approved the inclusion of his political donations as pertinent evidence in his impending trial, scheduled to commence on October 3, 2023. These donations have become a focal point in the fraud charges leveled against the FTX founder.

The trial is expected to span at least 21 days, concluding on November 9, 2023, and Bankman-Fried will remain in custody at the Brooklyn prison, where he has been held since August 11, 2023. This detention followed allegations by Judge Kaplan of witness tampering in his case.

The saga of Sam Bankman-Fried's audacious bid to influence American politics with a $5 billion offer to thwart Trump's re-election remains a gripping and controversial chapter in the world of cryptocurrency. As his trial unfolds, the cryptocurrency community watches with bated breath, wondering how this remarkable tale will ultimately conclude and what implications it may have for the industry as a whole.