logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
35m 16s

The Naked Emperor Episode 2: The Beginni...

CBC
About this episode

We return to the beginning of Sam Bankman-Fried’s lucrative foray into crypto and ask: how did it all fall apart? Sam Bankman-Fried rose to the top of the crypto world with help from his friends. Gary Wang was a former fellow math-camper and brilliant programmer; Caroline Ellison was a former colleague at an elite Wall Street firm and an avid LARPer on the side. While still in their twenties, they were entrusted with billions of dollars of customer and investor funds. But in retrospect there were signs that maybe their enormous fortunes weren't created simply through their supposed technological and financial genius. For transcripts of this series, please visit here.

Up next
Oct 28
E4: The Great Trek
Finally, we launch into Musk’s ultimate quest — his desire to colonize Mars — and how he went from wanting to save earth to wanting to escape it. We hear the origin story of SpaceX, including why one astrophysicist calls Musk’s Earth-exiting plan “delusional.” Is the red planet t ... Show More
44m 36s
Oct 21
E3: The Legion
What does Musk, father of 14, expect from his “legion” of children? We unravel his quest for genetic optimization, including alleged embryo screening, and his pronatalist views. And we hear from his estranged daughter, Vivian. Voices in this episode include:Julia Black, journalis ... Show More
49m 31s
Oct 14
E2: Technocracy, Inc.
Could Musk’s authoritarian streak trace back to his Canadian grandfather? Before Joshua Haldeman brought his family to South Africa, he made waves as part of the radical 1930s Technocracy movement. And while the two men’s lives only overlapped for three years, we find echoes of E ... Show More
48m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
The Man Who Was Supposed to Save Crypto
<p>Earlier this year, much of the crypto industry imploded, taking with it billions of dollars. From that crash, one company and its charismatic founder emerged as the industry’s savior.</p><p>Last week, that company collapsed.</p><p>Who is Sam Bankman-Fried, how did he become th ... Show More
33m 35s
May 2023
Introducing - Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
Coming soon: 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 then his crypto exchange FTX collapsed Billions of dollars were missing, and Sam was in handcuffs. Those who knew him were le ... Show More
2m 21s
May 2023
Introducing - Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
Coming soon: 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 then his crypto exchange FTX collapsed Billions of dollars were missing, and Sam was in handcuffs. Those who knew him were le ... Show More
2m 21s
May 2024
The Crypto Comeback
<p>This month, customers of FTX — Sam Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency exchange, which collapsed in 2022 — were told that they would get their money back, with interest.</p><p>David Yaffe-Bellany, our technology reporter, explains what was behind this change in fortune and what it ... Show More
23m 42s
Mar 2023
Uncover Introduces: The Naked Emperor
Sam Bankman-Fried wasn't like other crypto moguls: he drove a Toyota Corolla, he was an advocate for government regulation, he said he would give billions away to charity. That is, until he lost it all in what has been called “one of history’s greatest-ever destructions of wealth ... Show More
35m 5s
Nov 2022
Sam Bankman-Fried and the fall of a crypto empire
Sam Bankman-Fried built a reputation as the one reliable crypto bro. But within the span of days, his empire came crashing down. What the rise and fall of crypto's 30-year-old elder statesman says about the story of crypto so far. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or a ... Show More
23m 48s