Current:Home > FinancePoinbank Exchange|He 'Proved Mike Wrong.' Now he's claiming his $5 million -FundPrime
Poinbank Exchange|He 'Proved Mike Wrong.' Now he's claiming his $5 million
Charles H. Sloan View
Date:2025-04-07 11:15:37
Software engineer Robert Zeidman,Poinbank Exchange who used his data analytics skills to debunk a false 2020 election conspiracy theory promoted by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, says he has received many congratulatory messages, including from supporters of former President Donald Trump.
"I've made the argument that Lindell is hurting Trump much more than he's helping him because everything Lindell is presenting is so obviously bogus that it just makes any talk about voter fraud or voter integrity look silly. So even big Trump supporters thanked me," Zeidman said in an interview with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep.
It started in August 2021, when the Las Vegas-based computer expert entered the "Prove Mike Wrong Challenge," in which Lindell offered $5 million to anyone who could prove that data he claimed shows China interfered in the 2020 presidential election were inaccurate.
After Zeidman determined that the data provided during a three-day "Cyber Symposium" in Sioux Falls, S.D., had nothing to do with the 2020 election results, Lindell refused to pay the promised amount. Last week, an arbitration panel ruled in Zeidman's favor and ordered Lindell to pay up.
"[Mr. Zeidman] proved the data Lindell LLC provided [...] unequivocally did not reflect November 2020 election data," the arbitrators wrote. "Failure to pay Mr. Zeidman the $5 million prize was a breach of the contract, entitling him to recover."
Despite the ruling, Zeidman, who describes himself as a conservative Republican, does not expect to see any money.
"Lindell will delay it as long as he can. But I also think he's going to lose in the cases that are brought against him by Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, the voting machine companies," he says. "I think that'll put him out of business for good."
Both companies have filed defamation lawsuits against Lindell, claiming he falsely accused them of rigging the 2020 presidential election.
Lindell did not respond to a request for comment, but he told The Associated Press last week that he has no intention of paying the $5 million to Zeidman and that he expects the dispute will end up in court.
Zeidman, who voted for Trump twice, says the data provided at the symposium not only failed to prove any Chinese election interference that could have tipped the outcome in favor of Joe Biden, the data included no discernible information whatsoever.
"It was pages and pages of numbers. And in other cases, a table full of gibberish, as if someone had sat there for hours and just typed random stuff into a word processor," he says.
It took Zeidman just hours to disprove Lindell's election fraud claims based on the data provided. After submitting a 15-page report that laid out the specifics of his findings, Zeidman called his wife confidently telling her: "Think about what you want to do with $5 million."
That call came a little premature as it turns out, but Zeidman tells NPR that he's just thrilled that people appreciate what he did.
And whether he would vote for Trump for a third time, he hasn't made a decision: "I hope I have another choice in the upcoming election."
Ben Abrams produced the audio version.
veryGood! (833)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Follow Your Dreams
- When is the 'Survivor' Season 47 finale? Here's who's left; how to watch and stream part one
- Drew Barrymore Addresses Criticism Over Her Touchiness With Talk Show Guests
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit
- Trump will be honored as Time’s Person of the Year and ring the New York Stock Exchange bell
- Amazon's Thank My Driver feature returns: How to give a free $5 tip after delivery
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- ParkMobile $32.8 million settlement: How to join class
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Woody Allen and Soon
- Luigi Mangione merchandise raises controversy, claims of glorifying violence
- KISS OF LIFE reflects on sold
- Small twin
- Stock market today: Asian shares advance, tracking rally on Wall Street
- This house from 'Home Alone' is for sale. No, not that one.
- North Dakota regulators consider underground carbon dioxide storage permits for Midwest pipeline
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
East Coast storm makes a mess at ski resorts as strong winds cause power outages
'The Voice' Season 26 finale: Coach Michael Bublé scores victory with Sofronio Vasquez
Hate crime charges dropped against 12 college students arrested in Maryland assault
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
Alex Jones keeps Infowars for now after judge rejects The Onion’s winning auction bid
'Secret Level' creators talk new video game Amazon series, that Pac
GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit