London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 14, 2026

'This dude is bullshit': Elon Musk describes the first time he met now-disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried

'This dude is bullshit': Elon Musk describes the first time he met now-disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried

Musk said during a Twitter Space chat he formerly met with the cryptocurrency exec to discuss a potential investment in Twitter prior to the takeover.
Elon Musk is piling on after the downfall of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, claiming his "bullshit meter was redlining" in a previous meeting with the disgraced crypto leader to discuss a potential Twitter investment.

Musk's remarks came at around 2:30 a.m. ET Saturday during a Twitter Space conversation with 60,000 listeners, Coinbase reported. The discussion began shortly after news broke on Friday evening that FTX was investigating "abnormal transactions" in an apparent hack, the cherry on top of a very bad week for the imploding crypto exchange.

"To be honest, I'd never heard of him," the new Twitter CEO said, per Coinbase. "But then I got a ton of people telling me he's got, you know, huge amounts of money that he wants to invest in the Twitter deal. And I talked to him for about half an hour. And I know my bullshit meter was redlining. It was like, 'This dude is bullshit' — that was my impression."

On Friday, FTX announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failing to secure emergency funding. Bankman-Fried stepped down as CEO, lost 94% of his net worth, and admitted he "fucked up twice" in an apology on Twitter. He explained FTX's decline was a result of high customer withdrawals and his incorrect assessment of the amount of debt the company had accrued.

On Saturday, the Financial Times reported that FTX carried just $900 million in sellable assets against $9 billion of liabilities one day before the company announced it was filing for bankruptcy.

While it's unclear when exactly the meeting between Bankman-Fried and Musk took place, it appears to have been in the early days of Musk's plans for a Twitter takeover, and well before FTX's public downfall. Still, Musk said he felt there was "something wrong" during the discussion.

"Man, everyone including major investment banks — everyone was talking about him like he's walking on water and has a zillion dollars. And that was not my impression … that dude is just — there's something wrong, and he does not have capital, and he will not come through. That was my prediction," Musk said.

Musk tweeted early Saturday morning "FTX meltdown/ransack being tracked in real-time on Twitter" and also posted a crude meme of Bankman-Fried.


The comments come as other crypto and tech leaders speak out about their own recent interactions with Bankman-Fried, including Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, who told CNBC earlier this week that the FTX founder reached out to him to raise emergency funds for the struggling company.

"I was basically reading the room, and it felt like a pretty bad situation that we wanted to stay away from," Armstrong said.
Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
So are you saying that crypto, a blimp on a computer screen that produces nothing and has no assets is not a good investment LOL. Proving a good way to separate a fool and his money

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Middle East War Highlights Strategic Importance of Strong UK–Ireland Cooperation
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
×