Episode Summary
Executive Summary: Michael Lewis introduces "Judging Sam," a special Against the Rules series tied to his book on Sam Bankman-Fried. The series will cover FTX’s collapse and the criminal trial that could send Bankman-Fried to prison for life, with daily courtroom reporting, legal analysis, and frequent episode drops starting October 2.
Main Topics: Series announcement and premise (Priority: 5/5): The podcast is relaunching with a focused series centered on the Sam Bankman-Fried trial and the fallout from FTX. Connection to Michael Lewis’s book (Priority: 4/5): The series extends the narrative from Lewis’s upcoming book, Going Infinite, which covers Bankman-Fried’s rise and collapse. FTX collapse and legal jeopardy (Priority: 5/5): The transcript frames Bankman-Fried as a former crypto tycoon whose exchange unraveled and who now faces serious financial-crime charges. Courtroom reporting and legal analysis (Priority: 4/5): Listeners are promised daily in-court updates from producer Lydia Jean Cott plus legal commentary from Lewis, Jacob Goldstein, and guests. Distribution and access (Priority: 3/5): The announcement explains when the series starts and how listeners can get ad-free access through Pushkin Plus.
Key Arguments: This series is positioned as a continuation of the story told in Going Infinite, moving from biography to live trial coverage. Bankman-Fried’s trial is consequential because it may determine whether he spends the rest of his life in prison. The podcast will provide ongoing, near-real-time trial coverage rather than a single retrospective episode. Combining courtroom reporting with legal analysis will help listeners understand both the facts of the case and their significance. Ad-free access is being offered as a subscriber benefit through Pushkin Plus.
Data Points: Book release date: October 3 - Michael Lewis says Going Infinite is out October 3. Series start date: October 2 - Judging Sam is announced to begin October 2. Estimated former wealth: tens of billions of dollars - Bankman-Fried is described as having been worth this amount before FTX collapsed. Potential prison exposure: rest of his life - The trial could lead to a sentence that keeps him in prison permanently.
Pivotal Quotes: "It's called Judging Sam." — Michael Lewis: Lewis names the special Against the Rules series. "And now he's being tried for financial crimes that could send him to prison for the rest of his life." — Michael Lewis: Lewis explains the stakes of the upcoming trial. "Judging Sam, the trial of Sam Bankman Freed, starts October 2nd, right here in the Against the Rules feed." — Michael Lewis: Lewis gives the launch date and where the series will be available.
Implications: Listeners get a trial-focused companion to Lewis’s book, with rapid updates on one of crypto’s biggest legal cases. The series could shape public understanding of the FTX collapse and its aftermath.
About Against the Rules
Michael Lewis’s best-selling book The Big Short is now 15 years old. The Oscar-winning movie based on it came out a decade ago. To mark the occasion, Lewis has narrated a new audiobook of The Big Short. Here on his podcast, he and co-host Lidia Jean Kott are thinking about the legacy of the book, the movie, and the financial crisis of 2008. Michael catches up with the director of the movie, Adam McKay, as well as some of the real-life characters depicted by the likes of Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Jeremy Strong. He also calls up journalists, economists, and historians to make sense of the 2008 financial crisis and to understand how it still affects the world today.