Larry David's Crypto Investment: Did He Make Millions?

Larry David is a comedy writer and actor known for his work on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2022, he appeared in an advert for the cryptocurrency exchange FTX during the Super Bowl. In the advert, David plays a sceptic throughout history, dismissing inventions such as the wheel, the fork, and the lightbulb. The advert concludes with David being pitched the cryptocurrency exchange, to which he responds: Eh, I don't think so. And I'm never wrong about this stuff. Never!.

David has since expressed regret over his involvement with the advert, stating that he lost a lot of money after being paid in cryptocurrency. He was also named in a class-action lawsuit against FTX, accusing the company and its celebrity backers of defrauding investors.

Larry David's Super Bowl crypto ad

Comedian Larry David has expressed regret over starring in a Super Bowl advert for the former cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The ad, which aired during the 2022 Super Bowl, featured David in a series of historical scenes dismissing various inventions, including the wheel, the fork, coffee, the lightbulb, and space travel. It concluded with David being pitched FTX as "a safe and easy way to get into crypto", to which he responded: "Eh, I don't think so. And I'm never wrong about this stuff. Never!".

David has since called himself an "idiot" for doing the ad, which promoted Sam Bankman-Fried's cryptocurrency exchange, which collapsed months later. In an interview with the Associated Press, David revealed that he had consulted with friends who were knowledgeable about cryptocurrency before agreeing to do the ad:

> "I asked people, friends of mine who were well-versed in this stuff, 'Should I do this ad?' [...] So, like an idiot, I did it."

David also lost a lot of money as a result of the ad, as part of his salary was paid in crypto. He is facing a class-action lawsuit, along with other celebrities who promoted FTX, accusing them of defrauding investors who lost money when the exchange collapsed.

Larry David's payment in crypto

In 2022, Larry David starred in an advert for the cryptocurrency exchange FTX during the Super Bowl. In the advert, David travels through time, dismissing various inventions, including the wheel, the fork, coffee, the lightbulb, and space travel. The advert concludes with David being pitched FTX as "a safe and easy way to get into crypto", to which he responds: "Eh, I don't think so. And I'm never wrong about this stuff. Never!".

Despite the advert's tongue-in-cheek tone, David faced backlash for his involvement with FTX. In 2022, a proposed class action lawsuit was filed in Florida, accusing David and other FTX celebrity backers of defrauding investors who lost money when the cryptocurrency exchange collapsed.

David has since expressed regret over his appearance in the advert, stating that he didn't fully understand what he was getting involved in. In regard to the class action lawsuit, David commented that he "would love to be part of [it], 'cause part of my salary was in crypto, so I lost a lot of money".

While it is unclear exactly how much of his salary was paid in cryptocurrency, David's comment indicates that he did, in fact, receive at least part of his payment in crypto. This is further supported by a report from The Independent, which states that David "lost a lot of money" due to his crypto payment.

In addition to David, other celebrities who promoted FTX and were named in the lawsuit include NFL quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Larry David's involvement in the FTX scandal

In 2022, Larry David starred in a Super Bowl commercial for FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange. The ad, directed by Jeff Schaffer, featured David in a series of historical scenes, dismissing various inventions and ideas, including the wheel, the fork, coffee, the lightbulb, and space travel. In the final scene, David is pitched FTX as "a safe and easy way to get into crypto", to which he responds, "I don't think so. And I'm never wrong about this stuff. Never!".

The commercial was controversial and attracted a mixed reaction from viewers. Many people were surprised that David, a comedy genius worth hundreds of millions of dollars, would agree to star in a crypto ad. Some interpreted the ad as David satirizing crypto, while others saw it as an endorsement of FTX.

In 2022, a proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in Florida against David, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, and other FTX celebrity backers, including NFL quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen. The lawsuit accused them of defrauding investors who lost money when FTX collapsed. David expressed regret for taking part in the ad, stating that he had relied on the advice of friends who were "well-versed" in crypto. He also revealed that part of his salary for the ad was paid in crypto, and he lost a lot of money when FTX collapsed.

In court papers filed in April 2023, David and the other celebrities named in the lawsuit asked for the case to be dismissed, arguing that they did not cause the investors' losses. Bankman-Fried, on the other hand, was found guilty of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering, among other charges.

Larry David's net worth

Larry David is an American comedian, writer, actor, director, and television producer with a net worth of $400 million. However, David himself has refuted this number, calling it "ridiculous" and "absurd". He also revealed that he lost about half of his wealth following his divorce in 2007.

David earned the majority of his net worth from his ownership stake in the backend syndication royalties generated by the massively successful sitcom "Seinfeld", which he co-created and occasionally appeared in. By the time the show was syndicated in 1998, David and co-creator Jerry Seinfeld each owned 15% of the show's backend equity, netting them each a $250 million pre-tax windfall. In 2015, when Hulu obtained streaming rights for "Seinfeld", David made $80 million, and in 2019, when Netflix acquired the streaming rights, he pocketed somewhere north of $100 million.

David's other major source of wealth is the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm", which he created and stars in. The show, which began airing in 1998, is now in its 11th season.

David's wealth has also come from his stand-up comedy career and various odd jobs he worked before finding success in the entertainment industry.

Larry David's fans' reaction to the crypto ad

Fans of Larry David were divided by his appearance in a Super Bowl advert for the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. In the ad, David plays a version of himself as a time-travelling, disagreeable sceptic who rejects various inventions throughout history, including the wheel, forks, the lightbulb, and portable music players. At the end of the ad, he is pitched FTX as a safe and easy way to get into crypto, to which he replies: "Eh, I don't think so. And I'm never wrong about this stuff. Never!".

Some fans took to social media to express their disappointment in David's involvement in the crypto ad, with one person tweeting, "Larry David in a crypto ad is a pretty succinct answer to 'Is it ever possible to have enough money?'". Another person wrote, "Not Larry doing a crypto ad... LARRY NO". One fan said that David's decision to advertise cryptocurrency "hurts", while another tweeted, "Larry David being in a crypto commercial is the single most devastating thing to ever happen to me please give me space to process".

However, there were also some positive reactions to the ad, with some fans appreciating the comedy and the idea of David playing a time-travelling sceptic. One Twitter user, @almannarino, pointed out, "Larry David being Larry David works for any ad... even a crypto one". Another user, @showdotinfo, observed, "larry david crypto ad and backlash would make a good curb episode", acknowledging the divided reaction to the ad.

The mixed reactions to the ad highlight the controversial nature of cryptocurrency, with some fans expressing concerns about its environmental impact and effectiveness. Despite the backlash, David's longtime creative collaborator, Jeff Schaffer, revealed that they had a blast making the ad and that David "loved it".

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