SBF: The OJ TRial For Crypto Bros
If you know me, you know I love podcasts. As a producer and director of mostly video content, the theater of the mind that audio storytelling creates is liberating to me. I vividly remember my buddy, Mike, and I listening to the OJ trial on the radio as we worked our day jobs (yes, the radio). It was early days for Court TV and America’s infatuation with true crime. The titillation was always there. Truman Capote proved that way back in 1959. The OJ trial, however, ushered in a whole new level of obsession.
The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried lacks the mass interest and cultural implications the OJ trial did. There are no racial overtones. There is no murder and seemingly no celebrity except…SBF, as he’s come to be known, was an emerging celebrity in the financial world. A crypto wunderkind and reported billionaire with a cinematic plan to give it all away. SBF’s fall from grace is among the biggest alleged financial crimes in recent history. The trial may not have mass interest but it is of peak interest to those who have been paying any attention to crypto currency. It is a potential cautionary tale for traditional investors and crypto bros alike.
SBF’s status as a budding celeb is backed up by the fact that New York Times reporter, Michael Lewis, embedded with him during his lighting fast rise to crypto riches. Lewis’ name may not ring a bell. If it doesn’t, his book, The Big Short, was the basis for the Oscar Winning movie of the same name. He’s a big deal in financial reporting. He’s maybe the biggest deal on that beat. Along with his new book, Going Infinite, Michael Lewis has created a podcast with the folks at Pushkin. The podcast, Judging Sam, follows the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried. Judging Sam is co-hosted by a rotating cast of characters. The cast includes court reporter, Lidia Jean Kott, who gives daily reporting on illuminating testimony and proceedings.
What I like most about the style of this podcast is that it balances the backstory, the legal procedure and the testimony extremely well. The show’s producers understand that giving just the right amount of backdrop to let the facts and testimony play out is apt for a podcast audience. The man overseeing the trial, U.S District Judge Lewis Kaplan, is notorious for disallowing recordings of his proceedings. This makes the theater of the mind of this podcast come alive. The SBF Trial may not rise to the status of The OJ trial but its financial implications will certainly reverberate. The podcast, Judging Sam, is about the best in-depth yet easy-to-digest coverage you’re likely to find.
