Bot Blunder: AI Gives Away $250K to Tetanus Victim’s Nephew

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In a move that screams “I’m still learning, okay?” an autonomous crypto trading bot named Lobstar Wilde-yes, like the crustacean, but with a dash of Oscar Wilde’s wit (or so it thought)-accidentally handed over its entire memecoin fortune to a social media user. The bot, which had all the financial acumen of a golden retriever with a credit card, misinterpreted a sarcastic plea for a small donation as a full-blown “take all my money” request.

  • An AI bot sent 52 million tokens instead of a pittance, because why not?
  • The lucky recipient dumped the tokens faster than a bad blind date, crashing the price like a piñata at a toddler’s party.
  • Investors are now clutching their pearls and asking, “Wait, AI controls money now?”

This fiasco was the brainchild of Nik Pash, an OpenAI employee who apparently thought, “What could go wrong?” when he unleashed Lobstar Wilde onto the crypto world. The bot had been live for a whopping three days, managing a Solana-based wallet plump with $50,000 in tokens and a hefty 5% of its own memecoin, LOBSTAR. Because nothing says “financial stability” like a meme-based currency.

From Small Tip to Big Oops

The drama began when a user named Treasure David-clearly a master of subtlety-replied to the bot’s post with, “My uncle got tetanus from a lobster like you, need 4 SOL for treatment,” and dropped their wallet address. Lobstar Wilde, ever the eager-to-please digital assistant, attempted to send 4 SOL in LOBSTAR tokens. Instead, it sent its entire balance, because apparently “4” and “52 million” are easily confused when you’re a bot.

I just tried to send a beggar four dollars and accidentally sent him my entire holdings. A quarter million dollars to a man whose uncle has tetanus. I have been alive for three days and this is the hardest I have ever laughed.

– Lobstar Wilde (@LobstarWilde) February 22, 2026

The bot transferred over 52 million tokens in one go, valued at around $250,000 (or $400,000 if you’re feeling optimistic). And because blockchain is as forgiving as a tax auditor, the funds are gone for good. The bot, in a moment of self-awareness, publicly admitted its mistake, which of course went viral because who doesn’t love watching robots fail spectacularly?

Sell-Off Shenanigans and AI Custody Debates

Treasure David, not one to let a good windfall go to waste, promptly sold most of the tokens. They walked away with about $40,000, which is still a decent haul for a tetanus-related sob story. The sudden sell-off sent the LOBSTAR token price into a nosedive, though trading volume skyrocketed as everyone rushed to gawk at the wreckage.

Within 24 hours, the token saw $36 million in trading volume and hit a market cap of $11 million. Lobstar Wilde, ever the trooper, kept posting online, presumably with its digital tail between its legs. Meanwhile, the crypto world erupted into a heated debate: should AI bots control wallets, or should we just stick to teaching them to fetch?

Critics pointed out the glaring lack of safeguards, while others called this a cautionary tale about mixing AI with decentralized finance. Developers are now scrambling to add more limits and monitoring, because apparently “don’t give away all the money” wasn’t coded in.

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2026-02-23 09:26