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Going Infinite

The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon

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Going Infinite

By: Michael Lewis
Narrated by: Michael Lewis
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About this listen

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
International Political Science Politics & Government Business
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Critic reviews

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 … Lewis is a generous writer with a humane intelligence, and it is to his credit that he doesn’t reach for easy cynicism or cheap effects. (Jesse Armstrong)
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… Lewis tries to answer the first question he was asked about Bankman-Fried: who was this guy? The question of his guilt or innocence Lewis leaves to the criminal justice system. I think that’s good practice, given that the trial is happening right now. For what it’s worth, I see no contradiction between the person described in Going Infinite and the things SBF is accused of having done. In fact I think the book makes it easier to understand how and why he did what he allegedly did. (John Lanchester)
Life is what happens between Michael Lewis books. (Michael Hofmann)

What listeners say about Going Infinite

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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

A borderline hagiography

Not one of his best. Little depth of explanation of the people or events, and no real challenge of the Effective Altruism motivation purportedly underpinning SBF /FTX story.

A disappointment compared to his other works.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Fun story, poor journalism

I wish the author had waited for the trial and published with full information. E.g. he keeps repeating that FTX made $1bn in revenue but evidence from the trial suggested there were backdated trades (aka fraud) to make that number happen. You have been lied to Michael, and you didn’t take the time to find out. Great storytelling and performance though

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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

Fascinating story

I had no idea of the back story on this and I was glued to the entire story. Such interesting people and some much going on in just 3 years!

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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

Absolutely Fascinating

This book is a riveting read both on the human scale and the vastness of the Crypto market successes. There were times, early on, when I had to listen twice to a section to understand the unfamiliar subject matter. However the rest of the revelations more than make the effort worthwhile. I won't spoil it for you, you must read it for yourself.

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

A fall from journalistic grace

This falls considerably short of the journalistic rigour and intensity of all Lewis' previous works.
I kept waiting for the tables to turn and Lewis to label his mistake once the crimes became obvious; but it never came.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Lewis provides characters - then let’s you judge

Michael Lewis has provided a fascinating glimpse of the goings on at FTX, but his writing is driven, as always by the characters and their motivations / behaviours. He’s not intending to provide a final conclusion and allows the different ‘players’ to surmise their position as the entire operation disintegrates.

Some reviews stating “poor journalism” etc. are missing the purpose of the book. It’s to shine a light and let the reader decide. I don’t believe he has “jumped the shark” at all.

Excellent listed and of the same high standard as so much of his prior works.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great

Interesting story a good insight in to Sam’s world and crypto. I would have like more on the come up story

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

A very good audiobook, but fails to get into the detail

Like most of ML’s books it is a great listen, fast paced and fun with some really good prose which keeps you engaged. However, it doesn’t ever go into the details. You never fully can understand exactly what went wrong, just the general overview. The ending therefore feels very abrupt. No comments or judgements made on the actors, either, despite being criminals or morally dubious actors in the downfall

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it despite the bad reviews

I’m a big Michael Lewis fan but had been somewhat apprehensive about this book due to the negative criticism however I thankfully was proven wrong! Michael Lewis is also a brilliant narrator!

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

Far from his best work, sycophantic.

Rose tinted glasses make red flags just flags.
Michael Lewis was a force in the unvarnished truth story telling, now he’s just another celeb writer seeking relevance (walk on part in Billions!).
Oh dear.
There are better analyses of the crypto game.

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6 people found this helpful