By WBZ-News Staff
/ CBS Boston
Michael Lewis’ new book on Sam Bankman-Fried
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried "really liked Tom Brady" - so much so that he paid the former New England Patriots quarterback $55 million for 60 hours of work, according to a new report.
Michael Lewis, the "Moneyball" author whose new book "Going Infinite" chronicles the rise and fall of the one-time cryptocurrency billionaire, said in a "60 Minutes" interview that he saw FTX internal marketing documents detailing the massive payments to celebrities.
"He paid Tom Brady $55 million for 20 hours a year for three years," Lewis said. "He paid Steph Curry $35 million for -- same thing for three years."
Bankman-Fried turned to the sports world to bring his FTX crypto exchange legitimacy and visibility. Author Michael Lewis says he saw internal documents that showed the tens of millions paid to Tom Brady and Steph Curry, and for a Superbowl ad, Larry David. pic.twitter.com/Fx6qfhrdPJ
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) October 1, 2023
Bankman-Fried liked Tom Brady, and Brady "adored him" back, Lewis believes.
"I think Tom Brady thought he was just a really interesting person. I think he liked to hear what he had to say," Lewis said. "And he really liked Tom Brady. And Sam wasn't, like, a big sports person. So it was funny to watch that interaction. It was like, 'These two people actually get along.' It's like the class nerd and the quarterback."
Brady, ex-wife Gisele Bundchen and David Ortiz were among the stars sued over the collapse of FTX. Regulators alleged that Bankman-Fried "willfully and knowingly" defrauded investors, and hewas arrested last December on federal charges that include wire fraud, money laundering, violations of securities laws and other financial crimes.
Click here for the full "60 Minutes" interview.
