Apple Acquires Rights to Sam Bankman-Fried Book for $5M

Apple has reportedly acquired the rights to a book that tells the story of the disgraced FTX founder, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), according to an initial report from The Ankler. 

The upcoming book, “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon,” will be authored by Big Short author Michael Lewis in a literary rights acquisition worth approximately $5 million. 

SBF was first arrested in December 2022 following the collapse of FTX. 

The Ankler first broke this news back in November 2022, revealing that Lewis had been part of an “old-school Hollywood bidding war” for the then-unwritten book as FTX’s and SBF’s stories were unraveling in real-time.

In Going Infinite, Lewis sets out to answer the question “Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?” 

Painting a “psychological portrait” and financial roller-coaster ride, Going Infinite is the latest piece of work from Lewis that seeks to bring readers into the mind of SBF, whose overnight rise and fall offers a real-world application of this generation’s “Enron” that involves high-frequency and risky trading, cryptocurrencies, philanthropy, bankruptcy, and the U.S. justice system.

In addition to the book, there are reports of at least eight Hollywood projects that center around SBF, including a profile documentary reportedly being directed by Nanette Burstein, known for her work on films about figures such as John McAfee and Hillary Clinton. However, this has not been confirmed. 

But is it too early?

Granted that SBF’s trial doesn’t start until October 3, it does seem way too early for a book detailing the rise and fall of the former FTX executive to even be pushed out to the market without touching upon the trial and its outcome. While

From strange fashion choices and media appearances to his social etiquette and incestuous business workplace dynamic, SBF’s story is certainly one that has captured the world’s attention and will be remembered far beyond his trial. 

With the ongoing writers’ strikes from SAG-AFTRA and WGA, the continued production of these Hollywood-adapted documentaries highlighting the trials and tribulations hailing out of the crypto and Web3 space, will continue to face hurdles until conversations surrounding the concern of fair pay and artificial intelligence are addressed. 

SBF’s Lawyers Now Get Unlimited Prison Visits

On August 25, a federal judge granted SBF’s lawyers permission to meet with him without restriction, according to a recently filed court order. 

The order stated that his lawyers are able to “take unlimited advantage of the legal visitation hours” at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in New York in preparation of SBF’s upcoming trial on October 3. 

SBF, who was previously granted bail, subject to strict home confinement and technology conditions, repeatedly violated the terms of his bail and landed right back in jail after efforts to intimidate witnesses and interfere with the legal process. 

The book is set to be released on October 3, coinciding with the first day of his trial. 

Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-3.