AITA for refusing to lend my friend my expensive item even though I know he can’t afford one?

I, 26M, have this friend Alexander who usually just borrows stuff from me and then returns it… well, not exactly the way it left my hands, if you catch my drift. He has ruined at least three things of mine in the past: a video game controller with sticky buttons, a pair of headphones that apparently just stopped working, even my favorite hoodie-which came back smelling like a deep fryer, and honestly, I don’t even want to know why.

Earlier this week, Alexander asked if he could borrow my new $300 mechanical keyboard for a gaming tournament he's participating in; of course, I said no right away. It's brand new, I saved up for it, and based on previous history, I'd be shocked if it survived.

He did not take that well. He instantly got defensive, saying I never help him out and as a friend I should trust him. I said trust is earned, and breaking multiple things doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

He told some of our mutual friends, and now the group is divided. Some think I am selfish for not letting him use something I don’t technically need right now, while others say he is entitled and needs to stop relying on other people’s stuff instead of taking care of his own or saving up for his own.

He's now giving me the cold shoulder and calling me obsessive for not wanting to risk something that I worked hard and saved for. The thing that bothered me the most is he said if I could afford it, it shouldn't matter if it ends up a little messed up.

That one really bothered me.

So, Reddit, AITA for refusing to lend him something expensive, even if it means looking like the bad guy?