Elon Musk biography reveals how he turned down $5billion offer from FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried who wanted to invest in Twitter: ‘My bulls**t detector went off’

Elon Musk has given the city a $5 billion offer from FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, who was desperate to join his Twitter takeover, his new biography reveals.

In April 2022, Musk launched his Twitter takeover in an effort to rid himself of what he perceived as an inherent left-wing bias. He was looking for investors to back the deal and received a $1 billion commitment from his friend Larry Ellison.

Sam Bankman-Fried – the con man awaiting trial for one of the largest financial frauds in American history – was eager to get involved.

Although he had never met Musk, he contacted his banker, Michael Grimes, along with William MacAskill, asking them to arrange a meeting.

Elon Musk turned down an offer from Sam Bankman-Fried in May 2022, who offered $5 billion and a plan to integrate blockchain into the new Twitter.

According to Musk’s new biography released today, he disagreed with Bankman-Fried’s belief that Twitter could successfully operate on blockchain.

Ultimately, SBF texted him directly saying he would convert the $100 million worth of Twitter stock he owned into a stake in the new company once Musk took it private.

“I’m very excited about what you’re going to do with TWTR,” he said, before offering to “roll” the stock.

Walter Isaacson’s new biography, Elon Musk, was published today

According to the biography, Musk responded, “Sorry, who is sending this message?”

SBF then apologized and introduced itself, but it did not entice Musk to make his offer.

“You’re welcome to roll,” he replied.

In May 2022, still eager to participate in the deal, SBF called Musk to plead his case.

“My bulls**t detector went off like an alarm on a Geiger counter,” Musk recalled in the biography.

“He talked like he was on speed or Adderall, a mile a minute.

‘I thought he was going to ask me questions about the deal, but he kept telling me what he was doing.

“And I was like, ‘Dude, calm down.'”

Biographer Walter Isaacson writes that the feeling was “mutual.”

‘Bankman-Fried thought Musk seemed crazy. The conversation lasted half an hour and Bankman-Fried did not invest or use his Twitter shares,” he wrote.

The top investors ended up being Ellison, Sequoia Capital, crypto exchange platform Binance, a Dubai-based fund and a Qatari fund.

Part of the deal to secure the Qatari investment was for Musk to attend the World Cup final.

He was photographed with Jared Kushner at the event. SBF is currently in custody in New York City awaiting trial.

He is accused of defrauding $8 billion from customers and investors of his now-defunct crypto exchange platform FTX.