Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-08-17 00:20:27
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Michael Lewis
- ISBN：132410581X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Joel D
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Good romp， interesting and well informed storytelling about the rise and demise of FTX and SBF。 Undermined by the author's implicit and unexamined loathing for effective altruism。。。 somewhat understandable in the context， but leaks through into the story in a way that detracts。 Good romp， interesting and well informed storytelling about the rise and demise of FTX and SBF。 Undermined by the author's implicit and unexamined loathing for effective altruism。。。 somewhat understandable in the context， but leaks through into the story in a way that detracts。 。。。more
Brian Kirkby
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a pseudo-hagiography of sam bankman-fried （sbf） and the ftx fiasco。 the author is a fan of sbf and it shows， hence the relatively low rating， but i still enjoyed it。
Harry
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An amazing story well told。 I thought crypto was sketchy going in。 It's much worse。 An amazing story well told。 I thought crypto was sketchy going in。 It's much worse。 。。。more
Daniel
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I'm going to say that this doesn't rank up there with Lewis' best， but it was surprisingly good。 "Going Infinite" is a profile of Sam Bankman-Fried。 It's not exactly a biography， as it doesn't delve much into SBF's childhood， but it covers a little bit of his adolescence as an introverted kid at a private high school。 He was smart and got good grades but didn't really stand out to anyone。 In fact， it seems like classmates struggle to remember him。 At the very least， they're surprised he was， at I'm going to say that this doesn't rank up there with Lewis' best， but it was surprisingly good。 "Going Infinite" is a profile of Sam Bankman-Fried。 It's not exactly a biography， as it doesn't delve much into SBF's childhood， but it covers a little bit of his adolescence as an introverted kid at a private high school。 He was smart and got good grades but didn't really stand out to anyone。 In fact， it seems like classmates struggle to remember him。 At the very least， they're surprised he was， at one time， one of the richest men in the world。 I'm not sure the author could really get a handle on SBF。 No one can。 Sam Bankman-Fried stands outside humanity。 Whereas most people make decisions with some degree of emotion， SBF calculates everything analytically。 He doesn't have any close relationships。 He wants to make a ton of money to give to the effective altruism movement， a philosophy of giving money to create the greatest good for the greatest number of people， even if those people are currently unborn and live in the future。 SBF saw pandemics as the biggest threat， so he wanted to give his money to pandemic research。 He wasn't greedy， which I think makes his crimes a little more debatable。 Lewis doesn't really get into crypto or the blockchain in any depth。 He really tracks the rise and fall of SBF's companies， FTX （a crypto exchange） and Alameda Research， an investment firm。 SBF got into trouble and went to jail because he commingled funds from the two companies rather than protecting the deposits of FTX users。 He's such a big-picture thinker that he never should've been in charge of a company。 The employees didn't have job titles， there was no org chart， no HR or compliance departments; people didn't know their core duties or who they reported to。 Before reading the book， I didn't care much about SBF screwing up and going to jail， but Lewis gives the reader a much more nuanced view。 Now I feel sorry for Bankman-Fried more than anything。 I don't think he had any ill intent; he's just so unusual that no one can understand him， so it's easier to say he committed a crime and throw him in jail， which is a huge waste。 He is such an active， astute thinker that he should be put to work on big problems。 Speculators were harmed by his actions， but he was likewise harmed by regulators and a lot of others who were asleep at the wheel and let him keep doing what he was doing for so long。 。。。more
Phil
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Less entertaining then it is detailed I。think i've read all of the Michael Lewis books This was the least entertaining -maybe that's because this story is not a happy one， like some of the others。Still。a very detailed and amazing true story Less entertaining then it is detailed I。think i've read all of the Michael Lewis books This was the least entertaining -maybe that's because this story is not a happy one， like some of the others。Still。a very detailed and amazing true story 。。。more
Mike Dik
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He maybe was not a bad guy？？ This was pre trial but Lewis seems to offer a neutral to positive leaning view of SBF
Tad Derrick
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The first book I have read of Lewis’ but intrigued to read more！ A great job making and complex story digestible
Andie
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I really enjoyed this book and it was a good mix up from my typical read。 SBF is crazy and Lewis does a great job depicting who he is through stories from his colleagues。
Nitesh
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Great book。 Excellent look into motivations， company building， personalities， finance， politics， and more。
Donia
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maybe i like michael lewis？ this was my first book of his that i’ve read at luola’s suggestion， but i found it rly interesting and learned a lot about SBF。
Jake Zukowski
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The Infinite Apologies for the Crypto Con ArtistWhat a shame that Michael Lewis， the renowned author of some truly great books like Moneyball and The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine fall for the hollow charms of one of the most notorious figures in the cryptocurrency debacle。 In Going Infinite， Lewis seems to have been led astray， much like the investors and enthusiasts who fell for the grand illusion spun by Sam Bankman-Fried。Lewis’s infatuation with the so-called “effective altruism” na The Infinite Apologies for the Crypto Con ArtistWhat a shame that Michael Lewis， the renowned author of some truly great books like Moneyball and The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine fall for the hollow charms of one of the most notorious figures in the cryptocurrency debacle。 In Going Infinite， Lewis seems to have been led astray， much like the investors and enthusiasts who fell for the grand illusion spun by Sam Bankman-Fried。Lewis’s infatuation with the so-called “effective altruism” narrative， especially when considering the overwhelming evidence of Bankman-Fried’s deceit and the morally bankrupt individuals in his orbit， is perplexing。 Where is the "effective altruism" in paying Tom Brady and Steph Curry 10s-of-millions of dollars to get a handful of hours of face time with them？ It's more vanity than virtue， an angle sorely missing from this book。What Going Infinite truly lacks is a critical examination of the real victims—those ordinary people who lost everything while Bankman-Fried and the cast of shady FTX characters cashed in。 Instead of continuing the tired trope of the “new economy wunderkind，” Lewis had the opportunity to shine a light on the countless lives destroyed by FTX’s collapse and opine on how we can spot these con artists in the future。 Sadly， he chose， consciously or not， to become yet another voice in the chorus of apologists that are all too frequent when talking frauds at this scale。 Glad he didn't write a book on Bernie Madoff。 Lewis may have petitioned the Vatican for sainthood。The amount of wilful ignorance that Lewis had to show in the face of facts shows that even the smart can be duped by the sociopaths。 This book shines an undeserving favourable light on the crypto bros that continue to this day to scam， steal， pump-and-dump， and rugpull their way to tainted fortune。 Save yourself the infinite disappointment and skip this one。 。。。more
David Macnamara
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Michael Lewis is the go to guy for this sort of thing。 Great work！
Mikey Galai
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SBF is simply not interesting enough as a character。 I lost interest fairly quickly
Jonathan Sucher
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I don't know what to make of this book。 It is full of people I dislike， and I can't tell if this does anything to make me like Michael Lewis at all。 It may be an accurate account of Lewis's observations but I didn't find it particularly enjoyable to read。 It is feasible that the FTX collapse was mostly due to incompetence instead of maliciousness， but SBF is so frustratingly opaque that we can't be sure。 Was Lewis too close to the personality cult to give a good objective account of it？ The book I don't know what to make of this book。 It is full of people I dislike， and I can't tell if this does anything to make me like Michael Lewis at all。 It may be an accurate account of Lewis's observations but I didn't find it particularly enjoyable to read。 It is feasible that the FTX collapse was mostly due to incompetence instead of maliciousness， but SBF is so frustratingly opaque that we can't be sure。 Was Lewis too close to the personality cult to give a good objective account of it？ The book seems to want to elicit sympathy for SBF and FTX in some places but is very blunt in others。I don't think this paints a very flattering picture of effective altruism either （a new concept to me）。 These people present themselves as being so intelligent but their actions show how naive， egotistical， arrogant， and dumb they can be， too。 BUT， it does show how society will eagerly enable people ill-equipped to run a company as big and profitable as FTX as long as there is that much money in the picture。 It is a good spotlight on what I consider to be a pretty gross aspect of human nature。Honestly this probably would have done well to have been released a couple years from now， when more of the FTX affair， lawsuit， etc was in the rearview as the story as-is feels incomplete。 The cynic in me says Michael Lewis was more interested in cashing in while FTX and crypto is top-of-mind in the public consciousness instead of telling the full story。 It is a fascinating story though， and the inevitable collapse is what mostly kept me engaged。 But sorry my brain is not wired to understand all the details of crypto finance and parts of this book were a bit of a slog。 。。。more
Lauren Anderson
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If you’re looking to understand crypto and the drama around it， this could be a good start。 Fav quote from the book: “The smartest minds of our generation are either buying or selling stocks or predicting if you’ll click on an ad”。 How depressing…
Addison Euhus
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Really like Lewis and thought he did a good job here despite the criticism for him being too friendly about SBF。 Fascinating story and the timing couldn't be more perfect with a front row seat to the collapse of FTX。 Really like Lewis and thought he did a good job here despite the criticism for him being too friendly about SBF。 Fascinating story and the timing couldn't be more perfect with a front row seat to the collapse of FTX。 。。。more
Irene Li
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I feel like Micheal Lewis gave SBF such a pass with this book。 Utter lack of accountability and empathy was astounding。 Weird dude for sure。
Matthew
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This is a great read， at least for the "rise"。 It presents a picture of a brilliant mind who was able to raise， earn and spend millions of dollars while still in his twenties。 It does a good job of explaining the principles that SBF tried to instill in his quest for wealth， like Effective Altruism。 That is about 90% of the book。 The last 10% tries to describe the fall， and it doesn't do a great job at it。 Perhaps the chaos that enveloped the rapid decline made it difficult to explain the causes， This is a great read， at least for the "rise"。 It presents a picture of a brilliant mind who was able to raise， earn and spend millions of dollars while still in his twenties。 It does a good job of explaining the principles that SBF tried to instill in his quest for wealth， like Effective Altruism。 That is about 90% of the book。 The last 10% tries to describe the fall， and it doesn't do a great job at it。 Perhaps the chaos that enveloped the rapid decline made it difficult to explain the causes， and maybe we'll never know。 。。。more
John
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“Going Infinite” by Michael Lewis is a compelling deep dive into the high-stakes world of finance and trading。 Michael Lewis， known for his knack for making complex financial systems understandable， does it again in this book。From the first page， you’re hooked into the whirlwind lives of characters who live on the edge of market chaos。 Lewis’s storytelling shines as he blends intricate details with relatable human elements， making you feel both the tension and excitement of the trading floor。For “Going Infinite” by Michael Lewis is a compelling deep dive into the high-stakes world of finance and trading。 Michael Lewis， known for his knack for making complex financial systems understandable， does it again in this book。From the first page， you’re hooked into the whirlwind lives of characters who live on the edge of market chaos。 Lewis’s storytelling shines as he blends intricate details with relatable human elements， making you feel both the tension and excitement of the trading floor。For someone like me， who enjoys clear and accessible explanations， this book is a goldmine。 Lewis breaks down the sophisticated jargon and strategies of high-frequency trading into digestible， almost thrilling narratives。 It’s like he’s having a conversation with you， ensuring you’re never lost in the technicalities。The characters are well-drawn， each with their quirks and motivations， adding depth to the narrative。 Lewis doesn’t just give you a look at the systems; he shows you the people behind them， making the stakes feel real and immediate。“Going Infinite” is more than just a book about finance; it’s a story about ambition， risk， and the relentless pursuit of success。 Whether you’re a finance novice or a seasoned trader， Lewis’s ability to weave complex topics into engaging stories makes this book a must-read。 It’s informative， entertaining， and above all， a fascinating look at a world where fortunes are made and lost in milliseconds。 。。。more
Ligia Bonetti
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Not the best story … and I did not even knew about his story。
Martin Castle
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This is a subject I wouldn’t normally read about， business money crypto， but this is very much a story of our times。 One of greed money influencers politics social media and total naivety all in a melting pot which makes for a brilliant story。 Oh and of course don’t worry about the figures involved as they become less and less important as what’s an extra zero here and there on 25/30 million dollars or when added to a billion？ The sad part of the story is the debris left behind the people caught This is a subject I wouldn’t normally read about， business money crypto， but this is very much a story of our times。 One of greed money influencers politics social media and total naivety all in a melting pot which makes for a brilliant story。 Oh and of course don’t worry about the figures involved as they become less and less important as what’s an extra zero here and there on 25/30 million dollars or when added to a billion？ The sad part of the story is the debris left behind the people caught in the cross fire and broken trust at all levels。 A great story well written leaving you to decide are the main characters guilty or not guilty？ 。。。more
Nathan Thillairajah
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Sort of all over the place but pretty interesting for someone who didn't know much about ftx Sort of all over the place but pretty interesting for someone who didn't know much about ftx 。。。more
Sean Toal
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Michael Lewis is quickly becoming my favorite writer。
Courtney
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Good story， was expecting more from the ending。 Michael Lewis does a good job dissecting booms and busts but doesn’t always tell the story simply。
Molly
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As usual， I enjoyed this book by Michael Lewis。 He has a knack for making real-life read like fiction。 Really interesting account of SBF。
Annie
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Michael Lewis can be hit or miss for me， and this one was a miss。 I didn't find this book particularly informative。 Frankly， it feels like Lewis went easy on SBF for some reason。 Michael Lewis can be hit or miss for me， and this one was a miss。 I didn't find this book particularly informative。 Frankly， it feels like Lewis went easy on SBF for some reason。 。。。more
Lydia Choi
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There was so much bad press about this book during SBF’s trial， I decided not to read this earlier because critics kept saying Michael Lewis was conned by Sam and the book wasn’t honest in its truth-telling。 After finally reading it and everything with the trial being over， I’m actually quite shocked at this critique。Lewis does a great job highlighting SBF’s particularities， and how confusing of a man he was。 There was a lot of discussion around his personality， his inability to feel emotions or There was so much bad press about this book during SBF’s trial， I decided not to read this earlier because critics kept saying Michael Lewis was conned by Sam and the book wasn’t honest in its truth-telling。 After finally reading it and everything with the trial being over， I’m actually quite shocked at this critique。Lewis does a great job highlighting SBF’s particularities， and how confusing of a man he was。 There was a lot of discussion around his personality， his inability to feel emotions or empathy， and his very intense view of effective altruism。 Why do we expect Lewis’s perspective of FTX and SBF to be completely objective and true when the entire world couldn’t understand Sam or figure out what happened either？ I enjoyed the small glimpse into the world that Lewis was shone， regardless of its objectivity。 “‘I don’t feel pleasure，’ he wrote one day， late in his Jane Street career。 ‘don’t feel happiness。 Somehow my reward system never clicked。 My highest highs， my proudest moments， come and pass and I feel nothing but the aching hole in my brain where happiness should be。’“ - Sam Bankman-Fried。 。。。more
Marissa Flores
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This book about Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto trading firm turned （or perhaps revealed to be） criminal enterprise left a lot to be desired。 I was really taken by the trial when it took place last year。 I thought Bankman-Fried， who sprung from the extravagant wealth of Silicon Valley， wouldn’t face consequences for what he did （what he “did” isn’t really a concern of Lewis’） because his family was too powerful and our justice system generally affords leniency to the “young and misunderstood” if they This book about Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto trading firm turned （or perhaps revealed to be） criminal enterprise left a lot to be desired。 I was really taken by the trial when it took place last year。 I thought Bankman-Fried， who sprung from the extravagant wealth of Silicon Valley， wouldn’t face consequences for what he did （what he “did” isn’t really a concern of Lewis’） because his family was too powerful and our justice system generally affords leniency to the “young and misunderstood” if they are also white。 I was wrong。 Bankman-Fried is facing actual consequences so I was excited about this book’s promise of being the tell-all story of the young tycoon’s ascension and fall from astonishing financial heights。 This book doesn’t deliver that。What Lewis delivers is a pointless characterization of Bankman-Fried’s crime as， essentially， negligence。 Bankman-Fried was in over his head。 His ambition overshadowed his ability to keep track of things。 By his own admission in a letter to the House Financial Services Committee， he fucked up。 His disdain for rules and adulthood and the extent to which everyone catered to his every whim cultivated what can hardly be called a corporation at FTX。 What’s really astonishing about the Bankman-Fried story is that things went on as long as they did。 The Bankman-Fried story is one of entitlement， mass delusion， and frantic lust for power。 I’m glad this book exists to satisfy my curiosity but the story belongs to a writer more deft than Michael Lewis， who grants Bankman-Fried more latitude than he deserves by repeatedly emphasizing his goofy， troubled genius nerdiness over the actual choices he deliberately and repeatedly made to defraud clients。 Maybe he fucked up， but I don’t believe he didn’t know what he was doing was wrong。 3/5 stars， feels like the bones of a great story。 。。。more
Shyantan Tarafdar
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Michael Lewis almost romanticizes Sam Bankman-Fried's character。 It does feel like Lewis too was smitten by SBF and therefore even he doesn't believe that the latter was a crook。 In fact even Lewis believes that FTX was nothing more than a comedy of errors and almost defends him。 It's unbelievable how SBF influenced Lewis and others like that。 There are some nice insights about high frequency trading， crypto currencies and effective altruism and the philosophy behind it。 But as a Michael Lewis f Michael Lewis almost romanticizes Sam Bankman-Fried's character。 It does feel like Lewis too was smitten by SBF and therefore even he doesn't believe that the latter was a crook。 In fact even Lewis believes that FTX was nothing more than a comedy of errors and almost defends him。 It's unbelievable how SBF influenced Lewis and others like that。 There are some nice insights about high frequency trading， crypto currencies and effective altruism and the philosophy behind it。 But as a Michael Lewis fan it was disappointing to see his myopic vision。 。。。more
Mancman
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