Sam Bankman-Fried: Insights from Michael Lewis' 'Going Infinite'

The Cautionary Tale of Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF as he’s often called, is no ordinary billionaire. One moment he was riding high with a net worth of $22.5 billion, rubbing elbows with the likes of Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and the next, he was in the hot seat, facing a barrage of criminal charges. In his new book, “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon,” author Michael Lewis captures this rollercoaster ride with a blend of humor and seriousness that makes the bizarre elements of SBF’s life both fascinating and infuriating.

Gaming While Grinning

One of the most colorful anecdotes from Lewis’ account involves SBF’s penchant for playing video games during important interviews. Picture this: Anna Wintour, the queen of fashion, trying to discuss serious matters with a guy who’s half-focused on leveling up in League of Legends! According to Lewis, SBF felt that engaging in another activity kept him from seeming rude.

“It was just that he needed to be playing this other game at the same time as whatever game he had going in real life,”

Lewis writes. So next time you try to multitask, just remember, it’s a fine line between genius and utter chaos.

The Wacky World of Schedules

Lewis delves into SBF’s unconventional approach to planning his day. Picture a calendar that’s less of a strict guide and more of a whimsical suggestion. His head of public relations, Natalie Tien, reported that SBF treated appointments like they were merely invitations to a party he could choose to attend—or not. Lewis notes,

“The schedule was less a plan than a theory.”

When he said yes to an event, he wasn’t committing; he was calculating the “expected value” of his attendance—probably while deep in another gaming session.

A Flop at the Met Gala

One of the big social asks was the chance to appear at the Met Gala, a prestigious event showcasing opulence and high fashion. SBF snubbed the opportunity after securing it through his interview with Wintour, proving that even child billionaires can have a poor sense of timing.

From Suits to Shambles

In rare moments where SBF bothered to don actual clothing, he managed to still leave a significant mark—mostly in the form of mismatched shoes. During his testimony before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, he wore shoes that were, surprisingly, untied. This little detail had social media buzzing, commentating on the juxtaposition of a billionaire dressed in a suit but looking just a tad underprepared.

The Courtroom Drama Unfolds

As the courtroom drama is set to commence, with jury selection on the horizon, it’s astonishing how much could happen between the release of Lewis’ book on Oct. 3 and Bankman-Fried’s trial starting the very next day. With seven charges to face regarding fraud, it seems this saga is as ongoing as a never-ending video game quest—with plenty of plot twists that no one could have predicted.