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  • Going Infinite

  • The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
  • By: Michael Lewis
  • Narrated by: Michael Lewis
  • Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (67 ratings)

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Going Infinite

By: Michael Lewis
Narrated by: Michael Lewis
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

'I asked him how much it would take for him to sell FTX and go do something other than make money. He thought the question over. "One hundred and fifty billion dollars," he finally said-though he added that he had use for "infinity dollars"...'

Sam Bankman-Fried wasn't just rich. Before he turned thirty he'd become the world's youngest billionaire, making a record fortune in the crypto frenzy. CEOs, celebrities and world leaders vied for his time. At one point he considered paying off the entire national debt of the Bahamas so he could take his business there.

Then it all fell apart.

Who was this Gatsby of the crypto world, a rumpled guy in cargo shorts, whose eyes twitched across TV interviews as he played video games on the side, who even his million-dollar investors still found a mystery? What gave him such an extraordinary ability to make money - and how did his empire collapse so spectacularly?

Michael Lewis was there when it happened, having got to know Bankman-Fried during his epic rise. In Going Infinite he tells us a story like no other, taking us through the mind-bending trajectory of a character who never liked the rules and was allowed to live by his own. Both psychological portrait of a preternaturally gifted 'thinking machine', and wild financial roller-coaster ride, this is a twenty-first-century epic of high-frequency trading and even higher stakes, of crypto mania and insane amounts of money, of hubris and downfall. No one could tell it better.

©2023 Michael Lewis (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

Life is what happens between Michael Lewis books. (Michael Hofmann)

What listeners say about Going Infinite

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing Story still to be finalised

This book is well written and I found I could not stop listening. 2 days and I was done.

If we are to believe this telling of the story, I struggle to understand how the so called boy genius could run such a massive business in such an unstructured way and with so many other around him going along with it. If this is true than I guess you can say it was fraud by accident or more precisely negligence. Maybe being the smartest guy in the room can be a disadvantage.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

You've heard of regulatory capture - welcome to author capture

interesting insights into the rise and fall of Sam Bankman Fraud in parts, however Lewis is far too soft touch and sympathetic to Sam's effective altruist drive. Lewis is captured to the extent that he barely sees SBF for what he is - a regulation white collar criminal.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating read

Michael Lewis has done it again with this book giving us an insight into the FTX saga and the mind of SBF.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing insight on a unbelievable drama

Michael Lewis has done it once again! Turned a complicated financial, technical mumbo jumbo into a story that showcases the lives of SBF and the people around him. It is hard to believe this fantastical story actually happened. It did and people have to be held responsible so that it deters people from doing this again. It’s is a brilliant listen and Michael has narrated it so well. He provides you with all the facts and it is up to you to make up your mind on all of this. Reminds me of the great gold rush! The last line on this book is a true gem. Well done Michael and I will be buying the print edition for my book collection!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Sam being sam

Bit of a letdown given how interesting the story is. Lewis seems to fall for the cult of personality "Sam being sam" excuse when realistically he should be raking this guy over the coals for being a sociopathic manchild who cares zero about the impact he has on other people.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Dan
  • 07-10-2023

Unique & balanced look into an unbelievable world

Michael Lewis was in a position no one else was to really capture this story and unravel the nuance and character of an unlikely oddball pirate billionaire that now has the whole world against them.
He doesn't tell you how to feel but makes it clear there is a side that hasn't been told very loudly which is worth understanding.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Complex story.

Well told story of a complex financial scam. Michael Lewis does his usual great job in turning a flat map into 3D.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great timely insight into FTX

A well explained peeling back of the curtain into FTX and Alameda Research, told from what might be the best neutral inside seat ever.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

He never misses!

Prior to reading the book, an examination of various reviews suggested a different perspective on Sam than the one presented by Michael in the text. Despite this, the narrative remains compelling and serves as an informative introduction to the realm of cryptocurrency for those unfamiliar with the topic. Any potential inconsistencies in the portrayal of Sam are likely minor and do not detract significantly from the educational value of the book in providing insight into the cryptocurrency world.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Well constructed but would like a stronger finality

Good listen but would have liked a bit more judgement passed on what he learned. Felt a bit unfulfilling at end of the journey. Was SBF irresponsible for putting himself in a position to run such an empire that he knowingly had disregard for?

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