Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
By Michael Lewis
- Release Date: 2023-10-03
- Genre: Finance
Description
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
With a new afterword on Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial and its aftermath
One of the New Yorker’s Best Books of 2023 • One of PureWow’s 42 Books to Gift in 2023 This Year • One of Fortune’s Best Crypto Books of 2023
“Going Infinite is in many ways Lewis at his best. He marshals a complex global story without losing sight of the delightful and revealing human details. He is a world-class noticer.” —Jesse Armstrong, writer and creator of HBO’s Succession, Times Literary Supplement
“A stupefyingly pleasurable book to read.” —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker
“Going Infinite is an instant classic.” —Helen Lewis, The Atlantic
“Going Infinite is wildly entertaining, surprising multiple times on pretty much every page, but it adds up to a sad story, even a tragedy, for its central character and for all the people who lost so much thanks to his actions.” —John Lanchester, London Review of Books
“Will join Digital Gold as one of the all-time best crypto books.”—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune
“A wry, engaging writer and a gifted storyteller.” —Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times
“It may be easy to take for granted how entertainingly [Michael Lewis] pulls it off again in Going Infinite.” —Brett Martin, GQ
From the best-selling author of The Big Short and Flash Boys, the story of FTX’s spectacular collapse and the enigmatic founder at its center.
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?
In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking readers into the mind of Bankman-Fried, whose rise and fall offers an education in high-frequency trading, cryptocurrencies, philanthropy, bankruptcy, and the justice system. Both psychological portrait and financial roller-coaster ride, Going Infinite is Michael Lewis at the top of his game, tracing the mind-bending trajectory of a character who never liked the rules and was allowed to live by his own—until it all came undone.
Reviews
No so good
3By madaboutmadmenI don’t know if the subject matter or the writing style for this book didn’t sit well with me and perhaps it was a combination of both but this was the worst Michel Lewis book I have read. His books are “page turners” for me but not so much with this one. The last 50 pages or so were by far the most interesting and his conclusion that the money was never really missing from FTX is a conclusion that I have not previously seen. I am not sure what to make of that. In any event I would not recommend this as a must read.Awful
1By The Dread Pirate RobertaI’m a huge fan of Lewis but this was terrible. I genuinely found myself wondering if I missed huge parts of the book multiple times. Skip itJaylin Lindsey
5By Jaylin LindseyJaceionSave your time and money.
1By double_g_1106I have read most of Mr. Lewis' books and enjoyed them. This isn't one of them.Disappointed
2By PaulippoiI typically love Lewis’ books, but he got hoodwinked by SBF. He wasn’t as critical of his subjects as he usually is and the book’s contents just felt lazy.Suspend Judgement
5By WordspittingBased on the reviews and near constant beating of the drum against SBF, I wanted a book that challenged the narrative with a good argument and evidence. Lewis is under no illusion about SBF's unconventional character but he resists drawing lazy conclusions. He provides insights into Ray and the bankruptcy court system that help to challenge what has come to be the unquestioned narrative.Just OK
3By Samnite100Ok, not one of the best… many unsolved issues developing main characters.Shocking propaganda
1By ConvekcityThis reads like a puff piece for a sociopathic criminal— a nice shade of red lipstick on a pig. Embarrassing book from Mr. LewisTotally biased
1By EdwyersDoesn’t talk at all about the fraud and defend SBF at all times instead of looking at it objectively and criticizing him for the choices he made to lose 8 billion dollars
