MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New York Times unveils obscure deals for businessmen to have access to Milei

The New York Times confirmed that more than one crypto entrepreneur paid to meet Milei

According to a New York Times investigation, cryptocurrency businessmen paid bribes to meet Argentine President Javier Milei during the Argentina Tech Forum last October, where Milei delivered the closing speech.

Consultant Mauricio Novelli was reported by the outlet to have acted as an intermediary requesting payments ranging from US$ 50,000 for a speaking slot and a brief meet-and-greet (often just a group photo) to as much as US$ 500,000 for vague “consulting services,” which supposedly included access to the head of State.

The NYT article also mentions an audio of $LIBRA cryptofiasco developer Hayden Davis bragging about his influence over the Libertarian leader and his entourage.

Davis allegedly offered a meeting with Milei and a partnership with the Argentine government in exchange for US$ 90 million in cryptocurrencies over 27 months. “Everything from Milei's tweets to basically all of Milei's stuff that comes up front, showing up at activities, et cetera; I have control over a lot of those levers. But it comes at a cost,” he said in the audio accessed by the NYT.

However, there is no evidence that the Argentine President was ever aware of these maneuvers, while Novelli denied any involvement in the development of the digital token and claimed he only provided commercial and technical advice to the creators of the cryptocurrency Milei promoted on social media - Kelsier Ventures and Kip Protocol.

The newspaper's report also cites crypto entrepreneur Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano and one of the businessmen who attended the event, who claimed he was indirectly asked to pay for a meeting with Milei.