Michael Lewis Was Charmed by Sam Bankman-Fried – But So Was Everyone Else

The e book’s comparatively sympathetic remedy of Sam turns into extra placing in distinction to depictions of his adversaries, similar to Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Earlier than the e book was revealed, a letter from Inventive Artists Company circulating in Hollywood mentioned Lewis likened Sam and CZ “to the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader of crypto.” Traces of this characterization nonetheless made it into the completed e book. “Binance was the category bully, FTX the category nerd, and every took pleasure in utilizing its particular powers to torment the opposite,” Lewis wrote. He additionally mentioned, “Sam thought in regards to the dimension of the pie, whereas CZ cared extra in regards to the dimension of his piece.” There’s additionally some gratuitous shade, similar to, “If CZ ever had an unique thought he by no means expressed it.”