In this engaging conversation, Tiffany Fong, a crypto content creator known for her coverage of the Sam Bankman-Fried case, shares her unique journey into the crypto world. After losing her savings in the Celsius bankruptcy, she began documenting her experience, catching the attention of Bankman-Fried himself. Tiffany reveals the complexities of their unusual friendship during his house arrest, discusses her interactions with both him and his mother, and reflects on her plans post-trial, all while questioning her role as a crypto influencer.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Celsius Bankruptcy and YouTube Beginnings
Tiffany Fong lost most of her savings in the Celsius bankruptcy, leading to depression.
This prompted her to start a YouTube channel sharing her experience, unexpectedly attracting attention and leaked documents from Celsius employees.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Initial Contact with SBF
Sam Bankman-Fried followed Fong on Twitter after her Celsius leaks.
Fong messaged him, leading to brief contact, and later, two phone calls after FTX's collapse, where SBF admitted to dark money donations to Republicans.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Fong's Relationship with SBF During House Arrest
SBF contacted Fong after his house arrest, leading to visits and conversations beyond the FTX case.
Fong developed a friendship with SBF, discussing his mental health, insecurities, family, and relationships.
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In 'Going Infinite', Michael Lewis delves into the life of Sam Bankman-Fried, the enigmatic founder of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The book provides a psychological portrait and a financial roller-coaster ride, tracing Bankman-Fried's trajectory from becoming the world's youngest billionaire to his eventual downfall. It covers topics such as high-frequency trading, cryptocurrencies, effective altruism, and the justice system. Despite criticism for its sympathetic portrayal of Bankman-Fried, the book offers a fascinating insight into the complex world of cryptocurrencies and the character of its central figure.
Tiffany Fong has had an unusual route to crypto fame. After losing most of her life savings in the Celsius bankruptcy, she began posting on YouTube about her experiences and eventually received some leaked documents, which she shared with The New York Times and on her channel. The leaks gave her some visibility, and that’s when Sam Bankman-Fried began following her on Twitter.
Fong unexpectedly managed to carve out a relationship with the one-time crypto mogul, and after he was arrested last November, she chatted often and even met with him while he was under house arrest. From there, she became known for posting details of her conversations with Bankman-Fried and documents he shared with her, and went on to attend every day of his trial in person and do videos on them.
On this episode of Unchained, Fong shares why she thinks SBF opened up to her, whether she ever had a romantic relationship with him, her unpleasant encounter with Sam Bankman-Fried’s mother at the trial, why she doesn’t really consider herself a crypto influencer, and what her plans are now that the trial is over.
Unchained 