According to The New York Times, Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of FTX, filmed a MasterClass video on cryptocurrency trading last year. The video was recorded during the summer months, several months before FTX experienced its collapse. However, the report suggests that Bankman-Fried’s lesson was not included in the series of crypto classes announced by MasterClass in December.
The New York Times article extensively covered Bankman-Fried’s relationship with Michael Kives, a Hollywood agent turned investor. Kives played a crucial role in connecting Bankman-Fried with various celebrities, politicians, and companies, including MasterClass. Three sources familiar with the matter stated that Kives introduced Bankman-Fried to individuals at MasterClass.
While Bankman-Fried’s crypto class was reportedly filmed in the summer, the decision not to include it in the “Crypto and the Blockchain” lessons was made sometime after that. The suite of lessons, announced by MasterClass in December, features prominent figures in the crypto industry, such as Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, Coinbase COO Emilie Choi, Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, and investor Chris Dixon.
MasterClass, known for its wide range of lessons taught by celebrity experts, offers over 180 classes covering diverse subjects, including cooking, chess, and writing. Bankman-Fried’s MasterClass had been a topic of social media speculation around the time of FTX’s collapse, but The New York Times report provided confirmation of its existence.
The article also mentioned Kives’ attempts to connect Bankman-Fried with notable individuals, including Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Bill Clinton, Elon Musk, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ron DeSantis. Furthermore, FTX’s bankruptcy lawyers recently filed a lawsuit against Kives and his venture capital firm, K5, in an effort to recover the approximately $700 million that Bankman-Fried had invested.
Bankman-Fried is currently facing fraud charges related to FTX’s collapse, including allegations of illegal money transfers between the crypto exchange and his trading firm, Alameda Research. As of now, there has been no immediate response from MasterClass, Bankman-Fried, or Kives regarding the report.