Apple Buys Book Rights with Eyes on a Bankman-Fried Biopic

Apple has recently secured the rights to an intriguing book by Michael Lewis, which chronicles the life and career of Sam Bankman-Fried, the embattled founder of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Purchasing the book rights for a reported $5 million, Apple will be bringing to its audience a detailed account titled “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon”. This title comes from Lewis, the acclaimed writer behind hit books that inspired Hollywood films, such as The Big Short and The Blind Side.

During the creation of the book, Lewis closely followed Bankman-Fried for a year, witnessing the entrepreneur’s meteoric rise and subsequent fall.

The story of Bankman-Fried’s journey is clearly of interest to the entertainment industry. Alongside Lewis’s book, there are eight other projects in the works in Hollywood about the FTX founder. Among them is a documentary led by Nanette Burstein, known for her 2020 film on Hillary Clinton. Burstein promises to deliver “exclusive inside access” in her feature on Bankman-Fried.

Additionally, Amazon has greenlit a series centered on the tumultuous events surrounding the FTX crash in late 2022. However, these Hollywood adaptations might face postponements, given the ongoing 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

It’s significant to note that Bankman-Fried wasn’t just any executive; he was a central figure in the crypto world. He was deeply involved in the heart of Washington’s power circles and helmed FTX, a leading crypto exchange. But after a staggering $8 billion loss, SBF resigned as the CEO of FTX. This was just the beginning, as he soon found himself facing fraud charges and a $1 billion lawsuit led by FTX’s new CEO, John Ray III.

Although Bankman-Fried has refuted all accusations, some of his closest allies, like former Alameda Research head Caroline Ellison and co-CEO Ryan Salame more recent, have pled guilty. As the trial against Bankman-Fried looms, set for Oct. 3, Michael Lewis’s book is also slated for release, ensuring all eyes will be on this story.