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Against the Rules · December 12, 2023 · 1h 4m

The Rise and Fall of Crypto Billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried from Talk Easy

Michael Lewis, Sam Bankman-Fried, Sam Fragoso
Show Notes

In this cross-post from Talk Easy, Michael Lewis discusses his book Going Infinite with host Sam Fragoso. He recounts his early walk with Sam Bankman-Fried that sparked the project, the crypto billionaire's Manhattan trial, and the philosophies that drove him, including effective altruism and probabilistic trading. The conversation also covers the ten-day collapse of FTX, the surreal scene in the Bahamas during bankruptcy, and how Lewis confronted personal tragedy while writing the book.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

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Effective Altruism
Michael Lewis discusses how Sam Bankman-Fried's belief in effective altruism drove his ambition to accumulate wealth for philanthropic giving.
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Probabilistic Approach to Trading
The episode explores Bankman-Fried's quantitative, expected-value mindset that shaped his decisions at Alameda Research and FTX.
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Stanford Law Parents' Influence
Lewis highlights how being raised by two Stanford law professors shaped Bankman-Fried's analytical thinking and argumentative style.
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FTX's Ten-Day Collapse
The conversation covers the rapid unraveling of FTX and the chaotic scene in the Bahamas as Bankman-Fried filed for bankruptcy.
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Editorial

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Writing Through Personal Tragedy
Lewis reflects on completing the book amid a great personal loss and feeling a kinship with Bankman-Fried’s parents during the scandal.
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References

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Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon — Michael Lewis (2023) — The book that emerged from Lewis's two-year observation of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX.
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