Going Infinite by Michael Lewis
Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Michael Lewis does his usual journeyman job of writing about a timely, complex subject in a very accessible style. This book is about Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the founder of FTX the crypto exchange and now a convicted felon doing 25 years in federal prison. The book focuses almost entirely on SBF’s childhood and college education for the first half, then discusses the world of cryptocurrencies, trading, and the players in that universe. The actual collapse of FTX and the criminal convictions are a small fraction of the story handled only briefly at the end. Much of it remains a mystery. While it’s an interesting story, Lewis has made the mistake of publishing too soon. He doesn’t even mention SBF’s conviction, only those of the people who pled guilty immediately. He doesn’t explain what led to the collapse except in the most general terms; it appears from the book that as of the writing more money is being found and more malfeasance or idiocy uncovered almost daily. He makes no mention, or even speculation, of the lasting effect the FTX case may have on cryptocurrency in general. If he’d waited until Donald Trump went in whole hog on the idea, we’d have a more interesting and balanced book.
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