1 month ago
Ben McKenzie suspected location was thing suspicious astir crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried agelong earlier anyone other did.
The character known for Gotham and The O.C., who earned a grade successful economics from nan University of Virginia, turned his attraction to nan study of cryptocurrency during nan pandemic. Unlike millions of others who person evangelized for crypto, he came to position integer rate arsenic fundamentally unsound and rife pinch fraud – lawsuit successful constituent Bankman-Fried, who founded nan FTX cryptocurrency speech that astatine 1 clip was weighted successful nan billions of dollars.
McKenzie wrote a book astir it – Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and nan Golden Age of Fraud, co-authored pinch Jacob Silverman – and arsenic portion of his investigation he reached retired to Bankman-Fried for an interview. Perhaps surprisingly, Bankman-Fried agreed, and without conditions. Their on-camera question and reply is simply a cardinal portion of McKenzie’s caller documentary, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, which opens successful theaters successful New York and Los Angeles this Friday, earlier expanding wider.
In nan film, we spot McKenzie beryllium down pinch SBF, astatine first utilizing his acting skills to look credulous aliases suggestible, for illustration “Tell maine astir this cryptocurrency thing. What’s it each about?” But nan crypto bro should person been alert of nan tougher questions he would yet look from McKenzie, fixed that McKenzie and Silverman’s Twitter feeds some indicated they were penning a book connected crypto fraud. And past location was nan java cup McKenzie brought to nan interview.
It bore nan words, “Being a fraud interrogator is easy. It’s for illustration riding a motorcycle isolated from nan motorcycle is connected fire, you’re connected fire, everything’s connected fire.” He group nan mug down successful clear position of Bankman-Fried.
On Saturday, McKenzie screened Everyone Is Lying to You for Money astatine nan Miami Film Festival (an due spot because for nan past respective years, Miami has hosted Consensus, a awesome cryptocurrency conference). At a Q&A aft nan screening, McKenzie was asked astir bringing that java cup to nan interview, successful what mightiness beryllium called a psy ops move.
Watch nan video of McKenzie’s reply below.
The actor-turned-director pinned down his prey connected captious questions astir crypto and asked Bankman-Fried astir his governmental contributions (which had turned galore members of Congress into enthusiastic advocates for crypto). Like Capt. Louis Renault successful Casablanca, who memorably says successful Rick’s Café, “I’m shocked, shocked to perceive that gambling is going connected here!” earlier collecting his winnings, those politicians must person been “shocked” and red-faced erstwhile Bankman-Fried was arrested connected fraud and different charges. The FTX laminitis is now serving a 25 twelvemonth situation condemnation astatine FCI Terminal Island successful San Pedro, CA.
Watch nan infinitesimal from nan Q&A successful Miami erstwhile McKenzie responded to nan query astir his question and reply pinch SBF and nan java cup.
