Actor-Director Ben McKenzie Shares His Experience Meeting Crypto Figure Sam Bankman-Fried Over Coffee for His New Documentary at the Miami Film Festival
Actor Ben McKenzie, known for his roles in Gotham and The O.C., has voiced concerns about the legitimacy of cryptocurrency and its figures, notably Sam Bankman-Fried, long before many others. McKenzie, who holds a degree in economics from the University of Virginia, turned his focus to cryptocurrency during the pandemic, ultimately deeming it “fundamentally unsound” and susceptible to fraud.
In his book, Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, co-written with Jacob Silverman, McKenzie conducted extensive research, which included reaching out to Bankman-Fried for an interview. Surprisingly, Bankman-Fried agreed to speak with McKenzie on camera without any preconditions. This interview becomes a central element of McKenzie’s upcoming documentary, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, set to premiere in theaters in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, with wider distribution to follow.
FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at Manhattan Federal Court.
Getty Images
Throughout the film, McKenzie employs a strategy that blends his acting skills with an investigative approach. He begins the interview with Bankman-Fried in a seemingly receptive manner, playfully asking, “Tell me about this cryptocurrency thing. What’s it all about?” However, it is clear that he is poised to pose tougher questions, given their ongoing project regarding cryptocurrency fraud. Enhancing the tension, McKenzie incidentally placed a coffee cup prominently visible to Bankman-Fried that read, “Being a fraud investigator is easy. It’s like riding a bike except the bike is on fire, you’re on fire, everything’s on fire.”
The coffee cup Ben McKenzie brought to his interview with Sam Bankman-Fried.
The Forge
Recently, McKenzie presented Everyone Is Lying to You for Money at the Miami Film Festival, an event significant due to Miami’s long-standing association with major cryptocurrency conferences like Consensus. During a Q&A following the screening, McKenzie discussed the intention behind bringing the coffee cup, which some have interpreted as a psychological tactic.
In an engaging exchange, McKenzie confronted Bankman-Fried about his political contributions, which reportedly influenced numerous lawmakers to endorse cryptocurrency enthusiastically. Similar to the iconic scene from Casablanca, where Capt. Louis Renault feigns surprise at the gambling in Rick’s Café, politicians appeared “shocked” during the fallout following Bankman-Fried’s arrest on fraud and other charges. Currently, the FTX founder is serving a 25-year prison sentence at FCI Terminal Island in San Pedro, California.
The Q&A moment in Miami, where McKenzie elaborated on his interview with Bankman-Fried and referenced the infamous coffee cup, generated considerable audience interest.
