Apple Secures the Right to Bankman-Fried’s Story
- Apple paid $5 million for the rights to Michael Lewis’s book on Bankman-Fried.
- Bankman-Fried is currently the subject of multiple books and documentary plans.
- The former FTX CEO is set to begin trial for criminal charges in early October.
iPhone maker Apple has won the bidding war for the publishing rights to Michael Lewis’s upcoming book on former FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, titled Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon.
The scheduled release has been set for October 3, coinciding with Bankman-Fried’s trial. According to reports, Apple secured rights to the book for a record-breaking $5 million, which is more than double the previous $2 million paid for the successful Harry Potter series.
There’s a possibility that Bankman-Fried’s rise and fall could be turned into a documentary and follow in the footsteps of Netflix’s Inventing Anna, which focused on the life of fake heiress Anna Delvey. 31-year-old Bankman-Fried rose into a figure of interest in the US political sphere. He also had some of the biggest Hollywood stars representing his company.
There’s been a recent interest in celebrity crime stories in Hollywood, and Bankman-Fried’s alleged role behind FTX’s downfall makes him a perfect fit for another blockbuster story.
US prosecutors believe the former crypto billionaire is possibly behind the biggest scam in modern American history. Interestingly, Bankman-Fried’s story has the perfect Hollywood twist to it. Aside from running a failed business, Bankman-Fried was also involved in a romantic relationship with another FTX executive, Caroline Ellison.
Ellison led Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried’s research company. Following the decline of their enterprise, Ellison and other prominent FTX executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges and are set to assist prosecutors in the case against their former boss.
Bankman-Fried is currently awaiting trial in a Brooklyn prison. The FTX founder pleaded not guilty to charges, a choice that is beginning to look dumb given that everyone in his inner circle at FTX has chosen to reach a settlement that almost certainly involves putting him in jail. However, without a doubt, Bankman-Fried would have attained greater fame at the end of his trial, thanks to the multiple movie and book projects dedicated to his story.
If found guilty of charges, Bankman-Fried could likely spend decades, and even a lifetime, behind bars for allegedly stealing billions of dollars under the pretext of philanthropy. As a result, even if he manages to turn his notoriety into fortune, he might have little or no time to enjoy it.
I have covered some exciting stories in my career as a journalist and find blockchain-related stories very intriguing. I believe Web3 will change the world and want everyone to be a part of it.
