Did Sam Bankman-Fried's Millions Buy the Media's Loyalty?

As the FTX fallout continues to unfold, Reason reports:

The mainstream coverage of SBF and FTX is more than a little blase... SBF was heavily involved in Democratic Party politics: In the 2022 election cycle, he was the second most prolific funder of Democratic candidates. But he wasn't just a funder of electoral efforts. He funded both progressive and mainstream media organizations...
But SBF's own attitude toward his funding of these causes seems to be that it's all for show. When asked if ethics is 'mostly a front', SBF replied 'yeah, that's not all of it but it's a lot.'
If SBF considered his generous donations to be a 'front' for something else, one wonders what about the else. Is it perhaps the case that SBF thought he was actually buying goodwill and favorable coverage? He was, as it happens, the beneficiary of countless gushing magazine profiles and was frequently hailed as the 'white knight' of crypto.
Indeed, SBF is still benefitting from some kinder-than-expected coverage from the mainstream media, even in the wake of the revelations about his fraudulent activities' and even from outlets that did not receive his largesse.
Read Reason's full article here.

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