“Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon,” Michael Lewis’s next book, has made a shocking revelation. It has been revealed that Sam Bankman-Fried was investigating the legalities of paying former US President Donald Trump $5 billion not to compete for re-election in 2020. Furthermore, Bankman-Fried planned to donate $15 million to $30 million to Republican Senator Mitch McConnell in order to help defeat “Trumpier” candidates in Senate races.
Bankman-Fried was also concerned about the legality of such a payment, wondering if it would be permissible to pay Trump
The book sample does not explain why Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, abandoned his goals. It does, however, state that his team had developed a back channel into Trump’s business and learned that Trump could be willing to pay $5 billion in exchange for his silence.
Bankman-Fried was also concerned about the legality of such a payment, wondering if it would be permissible to pay Trump not to run for office. Bankman-Fried has pled not guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with FTX’s demise in November 2022. If convicted, he faces up to 110 years in jail, however, the actual sentence will be determined by the judge based on a variety of criteria, and he is likely to serve significantly less time.Â
His fraud trial is scheduled to begin this week, coinciding with the publication of Lewis’ book. When contacted by Reuters about the book extract, Bankman-Fried spokesperson Mark Botnick declined to comment. Trump’s representatives have yet to react to demands for comment. Bankman-Fried was an active political donor before to FTX’s demise, and federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating his donations to both Democrat and Republican lawmakers.
