The problem with Sam Bankman-Fried? We wanted to believe in him | Josie Cox

Hungry for innovation that will change our ailing world, we're blind to hubris, misguided egos and wishful thinking

On Thursday night, mere minutes after I finished reading the last few pages of Michael Lewis's book about the dramatic rise and fall of erstwhile crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried, we were all presented with an addendum to the last chapter.

In Manhattan federal court, a jury of nine women and three men convicted Bankman-Fried of wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money. The 31-year-old had used his house-of-cards empire - FTX and its sister company, the hedge fund Alameda Research - as a flimsy front for rampant, irresponsible risk-taking, they found. The charges against him could carry a maximum sentence of 110 years (his sentencing is set for 28 March 2024 and he still maintains his innocence).