Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried

Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried

When nerdy gamer Sam Bankman-Fried rocketed to fame as the world’s richest 29-year-old, he pledged to donate his billions to good causes. But when Sam's crypto exchange FTX collapsed, billions of dollars went missing, and Sam was in handcuffs, those who knew him were left wondering — who was Sam really? A well-meaning billionaire who made a mistake? Or a calculated con man? From Wondery and Bloomberg, the makers of The Shrink Next Door, comes a new story of incredible wealth, betrayal, and what happens when “doing good” goes really, really, bad. Binge all episodes of Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried exclusively and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/spellcaster/ now.

Episodes

May 10, 2023 2 mins

When nerdy gamer Sam Bankman-Fried rocketed to fame as the world’s richest 29-year-old, he pledged to donate his billions to good causes. But when Sam's crypto exchange FTX collapsed, billions of dollars went missing, and Sam was in handcuffs, those who knew him were left wondering — who was Sam really? A well-meaning billionaire who made a mistake? Or a calculated con man? From Wondery and Bloomberg, the makers of The Shr...

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Sam Bankman-Fried was making billions. He shared the stage with world leaders and celebrities. His face appeared on billboards promoting his plans to save the world. But this carefully staged production was about to be tested when reporters started asking questions.

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February 1, 2024 54 secs

In the first episode of Spellcaster, you learned about the meteoric rise of Sam Bankman-Fried. The financial savant accomplished a lot before turning thirty: he founded his own crypto-exchange, became one of the youngest billionaires ever, and shared the stage with world leaders and celebrities alike. But Bankman-Fried wasn’t prepared for when journalists started poking around and asking tough questions.


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