- Tom Brady and Sam Bankman-Fried got along despite being polar opposites, says Michael Lewis.
- Lewis told "60 Minutes" that the pair were like "like the class nerd and the quarterback."
Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady "adored" Sam Bankman-Fried despite the two being polar opposites, says the author of an upcoming book on FTX.
Michael Lewis talked about Bankman-Fried's relationship with Brady during an interview on "60 Minutes," which aired on Sunday. Lewis's book on the rise and fall of Bankman-Fried's FTX, "Going Infinite," is set to be published on Tuesday.
Lewis told "60 Minutes" correspondent Jon Wertheim that he thought Brady "adored" Bankman-Fried.
"I think Tom Brady thought he was just a really interesting person. I think he liked to hear what he had to say," Lewis said of the pair's relationship.
Lewis, who has penned books on finance such as "The Big Short" and "Flash Boys," told "60 Minutes" that he thinks the feelings were mutual.
"And he really liked Tom Brady. And Sam wasn't, like, a big sports person," Lewis continued. "So it was funny to watch that interaction. It was like, 'These two people actually get along.' It's like the class nerd and the quarterback."
Lewis said in the interview that Brady struck an unlikely friendship with Bankman-Fried despite the latter's nerdishness.
"Like, even the nerds don't hang out with this nerd, he's such a nerd," Lewis said. "The quarterback somehow likes him. And he somehow likes the quarterback."
A representative for Bankman-Fried declined to comment on Lewis' remarks.
Bankman-Fried was charged in December 2022 and accused of illegally funneling millions of dollars from FTX customer funds into his trading firm, Alameda.
Lewis said Brady was deeply upset after witnessing Bankman-Fried's fall from grace.
"He clearly really liked him. And he really liked the hope that he brought," Lewis said of Brady.
"And Brady was I think crushed. And I think as time has gone by, and he's ceased to get a really good explanation about what's happened-- I think he's just like, 'He tricked me. I'm angry. I don't wanna have anything to do with it anymore,'" Lewis told CBS.
Brady had served as a high-profile brand ambassador for the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, appearing in three FTX commercials.
The football star owned more than 1.1 million FTX shares. The true extent of his losses is unknown because FTX was privately held, but Brady's stake was estimated by Forbes to be worth around $45 million.
Representatives for Brady did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.