Michael Saylor Reflects on Pandemic-Era Decisions That Led to Bitcoin Pivot

Michael Saylor, founder of MicroStrategy, has revealed that pandemic-era economic restrictions and monetary policy were the key catalysts behind his decision to invest heavily in Bitcoin in 2020. 

In a candid conversation with Dr. Jordan B. Peterson on June 9, Saylor described the financial climate during COVID-19 not as a health crisis alone but as a “war on currency” that threatened to wipe out decades of wealth preservation.

“It wasn’t the war on Covid, it was the war on currency,” Saylor said, recalling the massive economic disruption caused by lockdowns and central bank money printing. 

He said he saw Main Street businesses collapsing while Wall Street rebounded on stimulus-fueled market rallies. “We had hyperinflation in financial assets,” he noted, highlighting the growing disparity between working-class Americans and financial elites.

From Panic to Pivot: Cash Becomes a Liability

By mid-2020, Saylor said he faced a stark financial reality. MicroStrategy held $500 million in cash reserves, but near-zero interest rates rendered that capital “non-performing.” With inflation eroding purchasing power, Saylor likened his situation to choosing between “a fast death or a slow death.”

Determined to protect his company’s value, he began searching for a new form of capital preservation. Traditional options like real estate and stocks had already surged in price due to the low-rate environment, and art lacked the liquidity and scalability he sought. “I need a liquid fungible asset which will store my economic energy for an indefinite period of time,” he explained.

It was at this point that he began considering Bitcoin, initially with skepticism. He reached out to long-time friend Eric Weiss of Blockchain Investment Group, and then immersed himself in educational content—videos, books, and podcasts. Eventually, he came to view Bitcoin as the digital age’s version of gold: a decentralized, non-sovereign store of value.

Strategy Bitcoin Bet Pays Off

In August 2020, Strategy made its first Bitcoin purchase, acquiring 21,454 BTC for $250 million. That move marked the beginning of a bold strategy that would eventually make the firm the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin. 

As of now, the company holds 582,000 BTC—valued at approximately $63 billion—according to data from the Saylor Tracker.

Reflecting on the decision, Saylor underscored the urgency of preserving value in uncertain times. “It took me 30 years to accumulate the money,” he said. “Why should I give up 30 years of my life?”