Neglecting Tom Brady’s High Profile Status, Jurors Deliver Shocking Statements in Sam Bankman-Fried’s $32 Billion FTX Scandal

High-profile criminal defense lawyer Mark Cohen described his client, 31-year-old founder and CEO of now dissolved crypto-exchange company, FTX, as a hard-working “math nerd” who graduated from MIT and “did not drink or party.” A fairly decent portrait painted against the darker image of someone convicted for misappropriating approximately $8 billion in customer funds before his company’s bankruptcy in the previous year. The former billionaire may face decades behind bars if convicted on all seven charges.

FTX deployed numerous other A-listed celebrities including Tom Brady for promotional endeavors, including commercials and social media campaigns. Brady who served as the brands “ambassador,” lost millions of dollars coupled with ex-wife, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, owing to the downfall of the cryptocurrency firm. The investigation has further landed Brady along with other celebrities in a lawsuit for promoting the now-bankrupt business. Despite the high-profile status of the trial, the attention received or given to the principal entities is nothing close to what is held obvious. 

Jurors express disinterest in the FTX trial 

As revealed in the bankruptcy records of FTX, the company allocated $4.9 million to Major League Baseball, a minimum of $12.2 million to a Formula 1 racing team, and $3.4 million to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, all to establish his company as a widely recognized brand. However, when it came down to the courthouse, numerous jurors expressed their lack of motivation to partake in the investigation. 

Someone enquired Judge Lewis Kaplan, who was presiding over the case about the adjournment time on Friday, expressing concern about having to reschedule a plane ticket that would now incur an additional $1,000 cost. Another juror mentioned that they work night shifts, potentially affecting their concentration during the daytime proceedings. Judge Kaplan seemed frustrated and had to detain the jurors regardless. 

Tom Brady has found himself on the list of celebrities who have been charged for promoting an unlicensed business, and the situation seems sticker than just that.

Tom-Bundchen loses millions over FTX bankruptcy 

Reports indicated that under an agreement signed in 2021, the retired NFL quarterback received $30 million and $30 and ex-wife Bündchen $18 million in now-worthless stock as compensation for his promotional work with FTX. The collaborative effort included television commercials that aired during NFL games, where they encouraged acquaintances to join the platform. 

Brady and Bankman-Fried further collaborated on TikToks backstage at the 2022 “Crypto Bahamas” conference, where they co-hosted a talk titled “Winning.” Meanwhile, Bündchen hosted a conference talk about the ethical philosophy advocated by Bankman-Fried known as effective altruism.

Read More: Indebted Tom Reveals ‘Twin Traits’ From Brady Family That Helped Him Become the NFL G.O.A.T.

However, following the disintegration of the crypto company both Brady and Bündchen, like many other A-listed celebrities, have voiced their discomfort at being hoodwinked by a seemingly hard-working “math nerd.” Bündchen told Vanity Fair, “I’m no different than everyone else that trusted the hype…I’m so sorry for all of us that this happened, and I just pray that justice gets made.” However, if justice is served, a lot of people may be sentenced to a lot of years behind bars.

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