Creator Michael Lewis alleges disgraced FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried paid NBA All-Star Steph Curry $35 million for 60 hours promotion, SF Gate studies.
Throughout an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes selling his new e-book, Lewis mentioned he met with Bankman-Fried over 100 occasions, the place he bought a take a look at some inside FTX paperwork displaying how a lot partnering celebrities made for working with the corporate.
“He paid Tom Brady $55 million for 20 hours a yr for 3 years,” Lewis mentioned. “He paid Steph Curry $35 million for a similar factor for 3 years.”
An advert that includes Curry, which might now solely be discovered on YouTube, painted the facade that he may nonetheless succeed within the crypto world with out being an skilled since FTX made issues really easy.
Bankman-Fried is going through federal fees of wire fraud and cash laundering, with a trial beginning on Oct. 10—the identical day Lewis’ e-book is out there to the general public. Curry has been listed in a class-action lawsuit in opposition to the failed firm and its supporters.
Curry joined the corporate as a world ambassador with an fairness stake in 2021. FTX welcomed the Golden State Warrior with open arms in a since-deleted publish.
“Welcome to the FTX Group, NBA Famous person Stephen Curry!” the tweet mentioned, based on AfroTech. “We’re excited to announce he’s develop into FTX International Ambassador and a shareholder. Although, who higher to announce it than @StephenCurry30 himself.”
The cryptocurrency alternate folded a yr later in November 2022.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and tennis professional Naomi Osaka had been additionally listed within the lawsuit that claims the superstar endorsements of FTX had been “fraudulent.” So as to add insult to damage, Shaq was served in the course of the playoff sport between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Warmth. Court docket filings report that Osaka allegedly pocketed over $300K, and O’Neal reportedly acquired near $750K from FTX.
