Michael Lewis, the author of "The Big Short," provides an intriguing glimpse into the world of Sam "SBF" Bankman-Fried in his upcoming book, "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of the New Tycoons."
In an excerpt published in the Washington Post on October 1, Lewis paints a vivid picture of Bankman-Fried's interactions with the media and influential figures before FTX's collapse and his subsequent criminal charges in 2017. According to Lewis, during online interviews, SBF often played video games in the background, such as League of Legends, seemingly paying little attention to the conversation. This included an interaction with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
In Lewis's words, "Sam didn’t want to appear rude. It's just that he needs to play another game at the same time as any game he plays in real life. His new social role as the world's most interesting freshman billionaire requires him to do all kinds of stupid things. Except for things he should be thinking about. He needs something to occupy his brain."
The book also highlights how Bankman-Fried's personal scheduler, Natalie Tien, described numerous canceled high-profile appearances, often at the last minute, seemingly without a clear reason. This includes a Met Gala event that Bankman-Fried ultimately skipped.
The book paints a picture of Bankman-Fried's unpredictable and often unconventional approach to commitments, describing his schedule as more of a theory than a plan. Lewis writes, "When people asked Sam for the time, they thought they were asking a yes or no question. When he said 'yes,' he assigned some non-zero probability to the proposed use of time. As he calculates and recalculates the expected value of each commitment, the dial swings wildly until the moment he delivers or doesn't deliver."
Bankman-Fried made rare in-person appearances, including testifying before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee in December 2021 and meeting with Senator Mitch McConnell. These appearances marked a departure from his usual attire of T-shirt and shorts, although it was noted that he didn't tie his shoes during the hearing.
The book is set to be released on October 3, the same day jury selection begins for Bankman-Fried's criminal trial in New York. It remains to be seen what additional insights the book will provide into Bankman-Fried's life before and after FTX's collapse. In anticipation of the trial, various forms of media have explored different aspects of his life, including an interview on "60 Minutes" where Bankman-Fried discussed his plans to pay former U.S. President Donald Trump to prevent him from running for office again due to concerns about Trump's impact on democracy.
Bankman-Fried is facing seven charges related to fraud at FTX and Alameda Research, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His trial is expected to last until November.
