Sam Bankman-Fried is getting his own movie. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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Sam Bankman-Fried and the collapse of FTX is getting a movie produced by Apple and A24.
Some are concerned the movie will be too sympathetic to the entrepreneur.
The film is one of many planned on-screen adaptions of the story.
In today’s streaming age, almost everything can get a film adaptation. From the depiction of the GameStop stock craze in 2023’s Dumb Money or Pharrell Williams’ upcoming biopic movie made entirely out of Lego bricks, nothing is off limits.
Now Apple and acclaimed studio A24 have announced they are working on a movie about Sam Bankman-Fried and the infamous implosion of FTX.
But with the movie reportedly based on Michael Lewis’ book “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon,” some are concerned that Fried’s portrayal on the big screen might paint the disgraced American entrepreneur too sympathetically.
On Tuesday, Variety reported that Lena Durham of HBO Girls fame was writing the script for A24 and Apple’s film about Sam Bankman-Fried.
The film is just the latest on screen adaption of the story, with Amazon ordering a limited series based on the FTX collapse.
Variety reported that another currently unknown streamer is also working on an adaption with an Emmy winner taking up the role of Fried.
Critics of Going Infinite
The book the film will be adapting received a fair bit of criticism on how it portrayed Fried, which has raised eyebrows on whether the film will do the same.
Despite becoming a New York Times best-seller after its release in October 2023, some critics felt author Michael Lewis had too much of a soft spot for the disgraced entrepreneur.
It did not help Lewis’ case when he described FTX as a “great real business” in an interview to promote the book.
Having seen the company collapse and the damage it caused—with all of its bank and wire fraud—it was extremely surprising for the author to say this.
A description of the book reads: “Both psychological portrait and financial roller-coaster ride, Going Infinite is Michael Lewis at the top of his game, tracing the mind-bending trajectory of a character who never liked the rules and was allowed to live by his own―until it all came undone.”
Bankman-Fried’s Web of Crimes
Sam Bankman-Fried, once considered a revolutionary in the crypto industry, was sentenced to 25 years in an American prison for defrauding customers and investors in the FTX crypto exchange.
At its peak, FTX was a high-profile cryptocurrency exchange lauded for its innovation. However, beneath its public image and $32 billion valuation, prosecutors alleged that FTX was deeply entangled in deceptive practices and misuse of funds.
The 32-year-old ex-billionaire was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Additionally, he was convicted for conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
The collapse of FTX sent shockwaves through the crypto industry, diminishing investor confidence and prompting increased global scrutiny of crypto regulations. Once seen as a trailblazer, FTX is now cited as a cautionary tale of unchecked power and financial practices in the crypto industry.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
