Basketball and American football stand as two of the most beloved sports in the United States, boasting massive fan followings. In light of their immense popularity, athletes like Stephen Curry and Tom Brady have emerged as highly sought-after figures in their respective sports. Of course, they draw substantial interest from numerous companies eager to harness their marketability. But the superstar athletes are caught in the middle of a legal firestorm. Their endorsements with the now-defunct FTX have been called into question.
With the looming FTX lawsuit, the sports world is abuzz with speculation and intrigue regarding the nature of these alleged misdeeds. Both Curry and Brady find themselves at the center of a legal firestorm that threatens to impact their reputations.
Stephen Curry and Tom Brady in Hot Water
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In 2019, blockchain gained popularity as a means of investing in the lucrative cryptocurrency market. FTX took advantage of the interest and rapidly rose as a significant market player. In fact, at its peak in July 2021, FTX had over one million users and they were the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume. They paid players like Stephen Curry and Tom Brady vast sums of money to endorse FTX. They even agreed to pay $135 million to the Miami Heat to rename their arena, FTX Arena.
According to author Michael Lewis, FTX paid Curry and Brady a combined amount of $90,000,000 to promote this failed operation. Lewis, in an interview with 60 Minutes, that Brady received $55 million per year for three years, while Curry got $35 million for the same thing. Michael said this in the interview: “He paid Tom Brady $55 million for 20 hours a year for three years”. He further added, “He paid Steph Curry $35 million for [the] same thing for three years“.
Lewis even stated that Brady was quite fond of Sam. He said, “Like, even the nerds don’t hang out with this nerd. He’s such a nerd. The quarterback somehow likes him. And he somehow likes the quarterback”. Both Curry and Brady have been named in a class-action lawsuit for their involvement with FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried.
Other Celebrities also Involved
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A group of investors filed a class action lawsuit against FTX. The lawsuit seeks damages worth $11 billion from Sam Bankman-Fried and eleven other celebrities. The list includes comedian Larry David, tennis star Naomi Osaka, Brady, and Stephen Curry.
In a separate incident, Kim Kardashian agreed to pay the SEC a reported sum of $1.26 million dollars to settle claims. After they accused her of not disclosing that the company paid her to promote EthereumMax tokens.
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With celebrities more influential than ever, a question that needs to be asked to common folks is: Should we blindly follow our idols?
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