Why was it was largely people like Ben McKenzie, who existed outside TradFi (as the kids say these days), that spotted S.B.F.’s antics early on?
William D. Cohan June 21, 2023

S.B.F. and an ‘O.C.’ Star Walk Into a Hotel…

Before Bankman-Fried’s downfall, the actor Ben McKenzie engaged in on-and-off correspondence with the alleged crypto scammer. Nearly a year later, McKenzie reflects on how S.B.F.’s purported crimes were “even dumber and simpler than I thought.”



While Sam Bankman-Fried was being fêted by the bulls on Wall Street, the renowned short-seller Marc Cohodes was sounding a five-alarm fire.
William D. Cohan January 4, 2023
Back when Bankman-Fried was buying arena naming rights and casting Larry David in commercials, the short-seller Marc Cohodes smelled something funky. “Who would give this mop-headed, dyslexic, A.D.D. guy a dime on some crazy strategy?” as he told me. This is the third in a series.
Sam Bankman-Fried
William D. Cohan December 28, 2022
During a sideline conversation at a fintech conference, some 15 months ago, S.B.F. offered some stunning revelations about how the sausage was made at FTX. This is the second in a series.
sbf
William D. Cohan December 21, 2022
A voyage to the Middle East with Anthony Scaramucci in search of $1 billion led to a meeting with M.B.S.—followed by a peculiar call from S.B.F.’s dad. This piece is the first in a series focused on early S.B.F. warning signs.