Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried

By: Wondery | Bloomberg
  • Summary

  • When nerdy gamer Sam Bankman-Fried rocketed to fame as the world’s richest 29-year-old, he pledged to donate his billions to good causes. But when Sam's crypto exchange FTX collapsed, billions of dollars went missing, and Sam was in handcuffs, those who knew him were left wondering — who was Sam really? A well-meaning billionaire who made a mistake? Or a calculated con man? From Wondery and Bloomberg, the makers of The Shrink Next Door, comes a new story of incredible wealth, betrayal, and what happens when “doing good” goes really, really, bad.

    Binge all episodes of Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried exclusively and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/spellcaster/ now.

    © 2023 Wondery LLC. All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • Introducing - Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
    May 10 2023

    When nerdy gamer Sam Bankman-Fried rocketed to fame as the world’s richest 29-year-old, he pledged to donate his billions to good causes. But when Sam's crypto exchange FTX collapsed, billions of dollars went missing, and Sam was in handcuffs, those who knew him were left wondering — who was Sam really? A well-meaning billionaire who made a mistake? Or a calculated con man? From Wondery and Bloomberg, the makers of The Shrink Next Door, comes a new story of incredible wealth, betrayal, and what happens when “doing good” goes really, really, bad.


    You can binge all episodes of Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    2 mins
  • The Smartest Person I Know | 1
    Jun 5 2023

    Sam Bankman-Fried was making billions. He shared the stage with world leaders and celebrities. His face appeared on billboards promoting his plans to save the world. But this carefully staged production was about to be tested when reporters started asking questions.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    26 mins
  • Where to find Episodes 2-9 of Spellcaster
    Feb 1 2024

    In the first episode of Spellcaster, you learned about the meteoric rise of Sam Bankman-Fried. The financial savant accomplished a lot before turning thirty: he founded his own crypto-exchange, became one of the youngest billionaires ever, and shared the stage with world leaders and celebrities alike. But Bankman-Fried wasn’t prepared for when journalists started poking around and asking tough questions.


    If you want to hear the rest of Spellcaster, you can binge the nine-part series, about one of the most catastrophic financial frauds in history, exclusively on Wondery Plus.


    On Wondery Plus, you can listen to all your favorite podcasts early and ad-free. With a library featuring over 50 #1 Apple Podcast hits and 45,000 binge worthy episodes, there’s something for everyone.


    Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or an Apple Podcasts.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 min

What listeners say about Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried

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Fantastic storytelling

Informative, engaging storytelling. A show the peels back the curtain and tells us some truths behind the now infamous Sam

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Informative and not drawn out

A short overview of Sam’s upbringing and how he may never have had altruism as a goal, only greed and adulation

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