New forensic investigation evidence found on the phone of cryptocurrency lobbyist Mauricio Novelli suggests a draft document points to a potential $5 million deal connected to Argentine President Javier Milei's promotion of the Libra token, according to local media reports.
The draft memorandum, reportedly written in English on February 11, 2025, three days before Milei's tweet about the Libra token on X (formerly Twitter), begins: "Friends, this is the final agreement discussed with H (believed to refer to crypto entrepreneur Hayden Davis)."
The document then details the payment structure. "$1.5 million in liquidity tokens or cash as an advance payment. $1.5 million in liquidity tokens or cash = Milei announcing on Twitter his advisors are Hayden Davis/Kelsier/Davis Family. $2 million in tokens or cash = signed on-site contract for blockchain/AI consulting projects with Milei in the Argentine government and/or Javier Milei, with review by Javier and Karina (Karina)," the memorandum states.
Notably, the draft memorandum does not explicitly state the recipient of the funds.
Crisis Communication Memo Outlines Post-Scandal Response
Investigators also discovered a separate memo, dated February 16, 2025, two days after the Libra controversy erupted online. This communication appears to outline a public statement intended to de-escalate the situation.
Authorities believe this communication may have been prepared for Milei to cite on social media or in interviews, according to local media.
Novelli was in Dallas during the token's launch. Call logs show he communicated with Milei and his sister Karina around the time the president posted about the token on social media. As the controversy spread online, Novelli also had multiple calls with presidential advisor Santiago Caputo during the government's crisis management of the issue.
Following Milei's tweet, Libra briefly surged to a $4 billion market cap before experiencing a significant decline.