FTX Founder had Meetings Lined Up With Bill Clinton: Details

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly had meetings lined up with politicians, including former President Bill Clinton, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, shortly before the downfall of his exchange.

FTX Founder Sought to Meet Bill Clinton

According to the report, the testimony of Richard Busick, a special agent with the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, revealed the scheduled meetings with politicians and disclosed that they were planned for September 2022, which was just under two months before the exchange’s collapse. 

Tracking SBF’s Phone

Busick was tasked with tracking Bankman-Fried’s phone between June 2021 and November 2022, and this data, along with emails obtained by the Department of Justice, revealed a packed schedule in September. According to the emails, Bankman-Fried had a meeting with former President Bill Clinton on September 20 at a Hilton hotel in New York City. 

FTX Founder had a Meeting with NY Governor 

As per Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Kudla, the FTX founder had a meeting with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul on September 16, likely at the Capital Grille on East 42nd Street, although the exact location hasn’t been officially confirmed by Hochul’s office.

In the following two days, Bankman-Fried reportedly had meetings with Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of Saudi Aramco, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investments Khalid A. Al-Falih, as per emails and cell phone data collected by the DOJ. Bankman-Fried also had a meeting with New York City Mayor Eric Adams on March 3, 2022, as cited by Kudla.

CNBC Interview With Michael Lewis

This revelation surfaced following a recent CNBC interview with acclaimed author Michael Lewis, where he revealed that Sam Bankman-Fried had extended an extraordinary $5 billion offer to discourage Donald Trump from seeking political office. Notably, before the collapse of FTX and the subsequent legal issues, Bankman-Fried had a reputation for actively engaging in political donation activities. 

The ongoing trial of SBF is bringing to light various details and circumstances related to the allegations. Caroline Ellison, a former Alameda executive, provides a compelling account of SBF‘s financial maneuvers in her recent testimony.