Donald Trump still hasn’t responded to Justin Sun’s Warren Buffett lunch invitation 🚨 This article is 5 years old...
Donald Trump still hasn’t responded to Justin Sun’s Warren Buffett lunch invitation
2 min read
Updated: Sep. 11, 2019 at 2:12 am UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Justin Sun, the founder of TRON, invited U.S. President Donald Trump to join him and several other crypto executives on a private lunch with Warren Buffett. Tron famously paid $4.6 million for the charity lunch with the Berkshire Hathaway CEO but postponed it in July due to alleged health concerns.
Warren Buffett’s charity lunch could be the biggest event in crypto
Warren Buffett’s charity lunches have been around for 20 years, but few have managed to stir as much controversy and attract as much media attention as this year’s event. The lunch, which was auctioned off for $4.6 million back in June, is yet to happen but is already regarded as one of the most notorious events in crypto this year.
Justin Sun, the 28-year old founder and CEO of Tron, paid the astronomical price for the chance to sit down with the legendary Berkshire Hathaway investor, a vocal critics of cryptocurrencies.
Sun wanted to use the opportunity to change Buffett’s stance on Bitcoin, saying that he was a “long-term believer” of Buffett and his value investing strategy. Previously, the billionaire investor famously called Bitcoin “rat poison,” and a “delusion.”
However, Sun postponed the lunch back in July saying his health prevented him from attending the event in San Francisco. The move sparked even more controversy, as many suspected the Chinese government had something to do with it.
Will Donald Trump join Buffett and Sun in discussing the future of crypto?
Seen as a unique opportunity to bring traditional finance closer to crypto, Sun’s lunch with Buffett was set to host some of the most influential people in crypto. One of the first to confirm his attendance was Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Goldman Sachs-backed Circle.
Hi Justin, I would be honored to join you and @WarrenBuffett next week to discuss crypto!! Count me in. Crypto is now a major global policy issue and there is a great deal for Mr Buffet to understand and for us to learn from him as well. https://t.co/PGY8bXQBcZ
— Jeremy Allaire (@jerallaire) July 18, 2019
Yoni Assia, the founder and CEO of crypto trading platform eToro said he would be honored to join Sun and Buffett, confirming his presence in a tweet. Huobi’s Livio Weng also accepted an invitation to join the two in San Francisco, as did Charlie Lee, the founder of Litecoin.
Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, said he would be unable to attend, but Helen Haiyu, the head of blockchain at the Binance Charity Foundation, will be taking his place.
Sun unofficially invited other industry heavyweights, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, with most of them confirming that they wouldn’t be attending the event.
However, Sun is still waiting for one person to RSVP—U.S. President Donald Trump.
Sun extended the invitation to President Trump when the latter shared his unfavorable thoughts on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Sun said that Bitcoin and blockchain technology are “the best chance” for the U.S. and, using Trump’s own rhetoric, said that he was being misled by fake news.
Mr. President, you are misled by fake news. #Bitcoin & #Blockchain happens to be the best chance for US! I'd love to invite you to have lunch with crypto leaders along with @WarrenBuffett on July 25. I guarantee you after this lunch, nobody will know crypto more than you!
— Justin Sun (@justinsuntron) July 12, 2019
While few expect Trump to accept the invitation and attend the lunch, there is a chance that he acknowledges the invitation extended to him. Even declining to join the two would prove to be monumental, showing that the word about crypto can travel as far as the White House.
However, given the drama surrounding the lunch, it might be better that President Donald Trump was never part of the debacle.
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Justin Sun has carved a name for himself as a leading figure in the blockchain sector.
Changpeng Zhao, popularly known as “CZ,” is a notable figure in the cryptocurrency world, primarily for founding and leading Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.
Jeremy Allaire stands as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Circle, a trailblazing consumer Internet company.
Charlie Lee stands prominently in the cryptocurrency community as the founder of Litecoin and currently holds the position of Managing Director at the Litecoin Foundation.
Vitalik Buterin stands as the pioneering force behind Ethereum, a transformative community-driven platform that fuels the cryptocurrency ether (ETH) and underpins a myriad of decentralized applications.
Yoni Assia is the CEO of eToro, the world’s largest social investment network.