Sam Bankman-Fried and the Media’s Love Affair With T-shirt CEOs

Sam Bankman-Fried speaks onstage during the first annual Moonlight Gala benefitting CARE, Children With Special Needs, in New York City on June 23, 2022. Craig Barritt/Getty Images for CARE For Special Children

Commentary

Less than a month ago, in the adoring eyes of the establishment media, 30-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried was the “crypto emperor” (New York Times) and the multibillionaire with the monkish lifestyle who wanted nothing more than to “give his fortune away” to altruistic causes (Bloomberg Markets).