Philanthropist offers California governor 'unlimited' money to prove COVID booster didn't harm him

When California Gov. Gavin Newsom disappeared from public view for nearly two weeks after getting his COVID-19 vaccine booster — missing even a Zoom appearance for the United Nations climate summit — his administration denied speculation he'd had an adverse reaction to the shot.

The tech industry veteran who coinvented the optical mouse and is now funding COVID early treatment research didn't buy the official explanation, speculating Newsom had developed Bell's palsy from the shot.

Steve Kirsch is now making escalating financial offers to the Democrat to publicly disclose "any and all vaccine-related conversations" with his doctors, and documentation including medical records, since his booster shot. 

"If you are telling the truth, you have absolutely nothing to lose" Kirsch wrote in his newsletter Monday. "Our doctors will not be able to tell me anything since there is nothing to tell!"

He started with a $1 million offer to Newsom, raising that to $5 million on Wednesday and "name your price" on Thursday. That latest offer was made to Newsom's wife Jennifer in a private email, he said.

"No response so far?" Kirsch wrote. "Wow. Unlimited $ for a blank piece of paper. I'm impressed. We'd make the Guinness Book of World Records for highest price ever paid for a blank piece of paper!"

Newsom can also respond to Kirsch's challenge and have the money donated to a charity, the philanthropist said. "If Gavin ignores my offer, I will start billboard/newspaper/ online advertising."