Author Michael Lewis told CBS’ 60 Minutes that Tom Brady was to be paid $55 million by Sam Bankman-Fried to promote FTX, while Stephen Curry would earn $35 million.
Lewis was featured on the TV show Sunday night, two days ahead of the release of his next book, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, which profiles Bankman-Fried, the founder of the failed cryptocurrency brokerage FTX. For the book, Lewis says he reviewed marketing documents that detailed some of the hundreds of millions of dollars in sponsorships that SBF and FTX committed to sports properties and celebrities.
“He paid Tom Brady $55 million for 20 hours a year for three years,” Lewis told 60 Minutes. “He paid Steph Curry $35 million for same thing for three years.” Larry David, who starred in a popular 2022 Super Bowl ad for FTX, received $10 million, per Lewis.
It is unclear how much of those deals were paid upfront or the combination of cash and equity. Representatives for Brady, Curry and David did not respond to requests for comment.
Bankman-Fried’s trial kicks off Tuesday with jury selection. He faces charges that he stole billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to fund his hedge fund, personal real estate purchases and illegal campaign donations. Starting two years ago, Lewis conducted more than 100 interviews with the now 31-year-old. FTX collapsed in November 2022, and SBF was arrested a month later. He was worth more than $20 billion at one point.
Brady, Curry, David, Naomi Osaka, Shohei Ohtani and other celebrity endorsers are being sued for promoting FTX and the company’s strategy. Attorneys representing the celebrities filed a motion to dismiss and insist the lawsuit is “nonsense.” Last month, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence settled claims against him, per a court filing. Terms were not released.
Brady “adored” SBF, according to Lewis. “I think Tom Brady thought he was just a really interesting person,” Lewis said. “I think he liked to hear what he had to say.”
“I think as time has gone by, and [Brady’s] ceased to get a really good explanation about what’s happened,” Lewis said. “I think he’s just like, ‘He tricked me. I’m angry. I don’t wanna have anything to do with it anymore.'”
In February, Brady retired from the NFL as the league’s highest-paid player of all time, with $550 million, including more than $200 million in off-field earnings since he was drafted.
FTX had a deep roster of sports sponsorships beyond just athletes. It committed $135 million over 19 years for naming rights to the Miami Heat’s arena and had its logo on MLB umpire uniforms. FTX sponsored the Mercedes F1 team, as well as the Golden State Warriors.
Lewis’ book will be released on Tuesday—when SBF’s trial starts.
