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Going Infinite

The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon

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Going Infinite

By: Michael Lewis
Narrated by: Michael Lewis
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Brought to you by Penguin.

'I asked him how much it would take for him to sell FTX and go do something other than make money. He thought the question over. "One hundred and fifty billion dollars," he finally said-though he added that he had use for "infinity dollars"...'

Sam Bankman-Fried wasn't just rich. Before he turned thirty he'd become the world's youngest billionaire, making a record fortune in the crypto frenzy. CEOs, celebrities and world leaders vied for his time. At one point he considered paying off the entire national debt of the Bahamas so he could take his business there.

Then it all fell apart.

Who was this Gatsby of the crypto world, a rumpled guy in cargo shorts, whose eyes twitched across TV interviews as he played video games on the side, who even his million-dollar investors still found a mystery? What gave him such an extraordinary ability to make money - and how did his empire collapse so spectacularly?

Michael Lewis was there when it happened, having got to know Bankman-Fried during his epic rise. In Going Infinite he tells us a story like no other, taking us through the mind-bending trajectory of a character who never liked the rules and was allowed to live by his own. Both psychological portrait of a preternaturally gifted 'thinking machine', and wild financial roller-coaster ride, this is a twenty-first-century epic of high-frequency trading and even higher stakes, of crypto mania and insane amounts of money, of hubris and downfall. No one could tell it better.

©2023 Michael Lewis (P)2023 Penguin Audio
International Political Science Politics & Government Money Stock Business Capitalism

Critic Reviews

Going Infinite is in many ways Lewis at his best. He marshals a complex global story without losing sight of the delightful and revealing human details. He is a world-class noticer … Lewis is a generous writer with a humane intelligence, and it is to his credit that he doesn’t reach for easy cynicism or cheap effects. (Jesse Armstrong)
Going Infinite is wildly entertaining, surprising multiple times on pretty much every page, but it adds up to a sad story, even a tragedy, for its central character and for all the people who lost so much thanks to his actions… Lewis tries to answer the first question he was asked about Bankman-Fried: who was this guy? The question of his guilt or innocence Lewis leaves to the criminal justice system. I think that’s good practice, given that the trial is happening right now. For what it’s worth, I see no contradiction between the person described in Going Infinite and the things SBF is accused of having done. In fact I think the book makes it easier to understand how and why he did what he allegedly did. (John Lanchester)
Life is what happens between Michael Lewis books. (Michael Hofmann)
All stars
Most relevant
Bit of a letdown given how interesting the story is. Lewis seems to fall for the cult of personality "Sam being sam" excuse when realistically he should be raking this guy over the coals for being a sociopathic manchild who cares zero about the impact he has on other people.

Sam being sam

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Michael Lewis has done it once again! Turned a complicated financial, technical mumbo jumbo into a story that showcases the lives of SBF and the people around him. It is hard to believe this fantastical story actually happened. It did and people have to be held responsible so that it deters people from doing this again. It’s is a brilliant listen and Michael has narrated it so well. He provides you with all the facts and it is up to you to make up your mind on all of this. Reminds me of the great gold rush! The last line on this book is a true gem. Well done Michael and I will be buying the print edition for my book collection!

Amazing insight on a unbelievable drama

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This book is well written and I found I could not stop listening. 2 days and I was done.

If we are to believe this telling of the story, I struggle to understand how the so called boy genius could run such a massive business in such an unstructured way and with so many other around him going along with it. If this is true than I guess you can say it was fraud by accident or more precisely negligence. Maybe being the smartest guy in the room can be a disadvantage.

Intriguing Story still to be finalised

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interesting insights into the rise and fall of Sam Bankman Fraud in parts, however Lewis is far too soft touch and sympathetic to Sam's effective altruist drive. Lewis is captured to the extent that he barely sees SBF for what he is - a regulation white collar criminal.

You've heard of regulatory capture - welcome to author capture

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Michael Lewis has done it again with this book giving us an insight into the FTX saga and the mind of SBF.

Fascinating read

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